Empty Jars, Milk Money, and BFF's

I told someone the other day about my accounting system for giving milk money donations. It goes like this...desperate parents ask, and I say yes, and then eventually I get around to checking to make sure there is actually enough money left in the donation fund to cover the donations we just gave away. Because I'm awesome at accounting like that. And because I'm a mom who's been there. And because insurance doesn't cover donkey milk. And because I don't believe that only the wealthy should have the chance to have healthy children. And because....I don't believe it will ever run out. Like the widow with the jars of oil...as long as there are empty jars, there will be money to fill them with....more donkey milk. There has to be. Because we won't stop while children are still in slavery to this awful disease.

"The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.”

Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?”

“Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.”

Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few.  Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”

 She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring.  When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.”

But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing.

 She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.” 2 Kings 4:1-7

Here's the thing. I wonder if she wished she had asked more friends. Or maybe had more friends. Or maybe had been a better friend...so she would have more friends to ask. Or maybe if she'd just asked for a few more jars...

So I'm asking you all, my friends. (And if you have friends, please share this with them, because I don't have that many friends.) My friends have given again and again, and then some, and because of you all, we've been able to give away over $8,000 worth of donkey milk to families that needed it. And we still have some in the jar left to give. Because it doesn't run out...in spite of my accounting skills.

Because I get these emails on a pretty regular basis. And they have the same ring of desperation as the widow who hit up Elijah for some help when her sons' lives were on the line.

"....I am writing to you with tears in my eyes. I don’t quite know how to ask this question, and am truly ashamed and embarrassed to do so.

How can we get on a list to be approved for free donkey milk? We have been purchasing the freeze dried for several months.... My son says it is the only thing that helps him.

We are desperate. We live from paycheck to paycheck because of this disease (PANDAS/PANS). I have a 34 year old daughter whose on-set was at age 11. My son is 15, and has been suffering since age 5. Over the years we have used all of our savings, retirement, investments, etc. to pay for doctors and treatments out of pocket. We have four maxed out credit cards. We are late paying our mortgage each month, and I fear it won’t be long before we can’t do it at all. I am also chronically ill and unable to work.

My son’s PANDAS doctor dropped us after 8 years, saying that he could no longer help us. My son’s most recent flair has lasted for the past year and a half. He’s suffering so much that he wishes for death, and it terrifies me.

We found a new doctor, who did lots of bloodwork, and found a whole host of other infections/illnesses. Apparently he also has Lyme disease, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, and a myriad of viral and bacterial infections, along with leaky gut. The big thing is that he is suffering from mold toxicity, apparently coming from our house and our 14-year-old van. We need mold remediation done to our home. We need a new/used vehicle. We have absolutely no money, no credit, and no family. We have nowhere to go. We just can’t afford this donkey milk right now. My son’s OCD would make him crazy, if he thought he had to stop taking it now.

So please, if you know of any way that we could possibly receive donations of milk, it would be greatly appreciated. I’m so scared of losing my son. I don’t know where else to turn. I don’t know how to do this anymore. I am trying to wait patiently on God, but this fear is so great. 

It has been 23 years that we have been fighting PANDAS/PANS for my children, and believe it or not, I am sure that my mother had PANDAS as well. I cannot tell you the pain of being raised by someone suffering with this disease. I’m sorry for venting like this. I am so broken this morning, and I have no where to turn. We have no church family either. We have been unable to attend church for the past two years due to the PANDAS and immune deficiency issues.

For the past four years my health has been so bad that I haven’t been able to leave the house, or leave my chair. I won’t get into all of the illnesses that I have, but I’m sure you know that autoimmune diseases are hereditary.

I know how precious this milk is, and I know how much time, love, and energy it must take from you to keep your dairy alive and well. I understand that I’m asking for the moon, but for my son, I would ask anything. Thank you for listening, and letting me vent. 

Praying for you, your family, your farm, and precious Snow White.

All God’s Blessings,
Anonymous Mom"--shared with her permission

So I'm asking you all for your jars. You know, the ones you aren't using, the extra's, the ones that need to be filled up and poured out again and again and again. Because I can't say no to this mother. Or the next. Or the next.

I've been that mom. And I would have sold everything we owned to get our baby back. Even if that meant living in a tiny house in the woods and milking donkeys on a serious lack of sleep. 

So when I ask you for your empty jars (aka donations), I'm asking because I couldn't live with myself if I had to say no to these desperate parents because we couldn't pay the hay bill without charging them for milk....and that would break my heart. And I'm pretty sure the donkeys wouldn't like it much either. Just ask them...cheap hay is...well, just watch out for tornado debris in every other mouthful. Because this is Oklahoma, folks. 

If you would like to donate via our non-profit "Hee Haw for Health" 501c3, please send a check to "Hee Haw for Health" addressed to: 13150 N Peebly Rd, Luther, OK 73054. Donations made via this website will not be tax deductible, but they're still helping provide milk for kids.

(A new website is coming soon for Hee Haw for Health!)