Posted on 10/08/2002 6:58:44 AM PDT by xzins
By MICHELLE KINGSOLVER
Brown News Service
SINKING SPRING - Tucked deep in the breast of a hollow in Brushcreek Township, you will find one of the most blessed houses in Highland County. At least, that is how the Sandlin family feels as a community of family, friends and strangers breathes life into a race to preserve their family as they know it.
Mike and Barb Sandlin have two children, Stephanie Stephens and Jared, and they both have cystic fibrosis. While Mike and Barb celebrate the approaching arrival of a grandchild and a continued good pattern of health for Stephanie, Jared swaps good days for bad days; awaiting a double-lung transplant.
While most clouds have a silver lining, the Sandlins' are paved in gold.
"Any fears we may have - any doubts which may enter into our minds - are all swept away by the grace of God and the tremendous blessings we have been showered with from friends, neighbors and strangers," Mike said. "Every time we think we have been overwhelmed by the kindness shown to us from our friends, our family, the community and strangers at-large, God steps in again and just floors us with more."
The blessings began to surface years ago, but more publicly about a year ago as southern Highland County and Adams County neighbors joined hands to help the Sandlins financially prepare for the lung transplant which Jared would need to save his life.
While the 16-year-old has been a patient at Children's Hospital in Cincinnati off and on for 14 years of his life, the transplant will take place at a sister facility in New Orleans or Pittsburgh. Financial challenges have presented themselves, not necessarily due to insurance coverage, but because the imperative surgery will require at least one of the Sandlin parents to quit their job and relocate for about a year. Mike is employed by Ohio Valley Truss as well as serving as a preacher at Harwood Christian Church, the congregation he attended as a child. Barb works for Airborne Express.
In recent weeks, the efforts of the Jared Sandlin Breath of Life Committee has spread to phenomenal levels from the livestock sales at the Highland County Fair, into Northern Kentucky and as committee members plan a street festival to unfold in Sinking Spring in two weeks.
Breath of Life Committee Chairman Jill Reed said that the plan to buy Jared's market hog at the Highland County Fair was inspired through conversations among committee members and as word got out to everyone except the Sandlins "people started writing out checks and throwing cash at me. It was just incredible."
Bids flew around the outskirts of the sale arena and when all was said and done, Jared's hog garnered a $12,588 price tag. Numerous businesses and individuals pitched in to provide the $46 per pound winning bid.
As if that weren't enough, the fever grew to include pledges from other Junior Fair market animal producers with the final pledge total of all Highland County Junior Fair sales reaching $16,800. Along with more than $1,000 in straight cash donations, $30,438 was promised to the Breath of Life pot at the Highland County Fair.
The story drew attention from the broadcast and print news media which resulted in the receipt of $12,418 in donations and more than 300 letters of encouragement.
An article also caught the eye of Amberley Taylor, a Hebron, Ky. youth who was about to celebrate her 11th birthday.
Inspired by the generosity of the fair community and the cause, Taylor requested that friends and family bring donations for Jared to her birthday party rather than gifts. Word of her intentions spread throughout the northern Kentucky community quickly and neighbors joined in to support her request.
The party evolved into a two-hour riverboat cruise with Jared, his family and friends serving as the guests of honor. The cruise and other donations, including a go-cart fashioned to look like the popular "Big Foot" monster truck raised an additional $5,000. The businessman who donated the go-cart bought the go-cart back and gave it to Jared as a present.
"We were overwhelmed and we continue to be," the Sandlins echoed. "It is just amazing to us at the blessings which continue to be laid at our feet. We can feel God at work in our lives through each individual and family which gives so freely."
Mike said, "God will reward everyone for what they have done for us."
Organizers are hoping that a festival planned for Oct. 12 will motivate the community to reach in their pockets in the name of compassion once again.
"The family will be in constant need of financial support throughout this journey," Reed said. "It is going to take a great deal of money to help them overcome this latest obstacle."
The Jared Sandlin Breath of Life/Brushcreek Fall Festival is scheduled from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Oct. 12 and will be staged at the Brushcreek Township Fire Department.
In the tradition of street festivals, the committee is keeping with a wide variety of entertainment for attendees of all ages. A kiddie tractor pull, a prince and princess contest, flea market booths, live entertainment, hayrides, a pumpkin carving contest as well as a log-sawing competition and general games are just some of the activities on tap. Roasted ox and hog are just a few of the palate-pleasing offerings customary to festival smorgasbords.
The village of Sinking Spring is 13 miles north of Peebles on state Route 41 in Brushcreek Township.
For more information on opportunities to assist the Jared Sandlin Breath of Life committee, please contact Reed at (937) 588-5321, or by writing 3469 Hizer Road, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133.
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I live out here and thought some might like to hear a neat story.
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FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794
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Also, the boy has on an FFA Shirt. He is from a farm family. Got any other present or former FUTURE FARMERS OF AMERICA (FFA) members out there?
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