Blogs can change lives… wanna help us change one?

I don’t have a nomination to make, but I want to say a huge thank you to you guys and HP. I’m still crying over this post. You guys are the best!

I too, don’t have a nomination, but I’m almost in tears here with amazement and gratitude for you and HP. This is wonderful, and proves what blogging can do!!

That is a wonderful thing you did for Tammy. When we want to make a difference, we can be such a blessing to those around us.

Great job!

I want to nominate my cousin “John”. He is going away to college this year and his parents can’t afford to send him to school, much less buy him supplies. He is going to school on an academic scholarship at a school that was not his choice in order to be able to afford to go. Because of all of his family’s financial difficulties he has been forced to go to three different high schools. I think a laptop would change his outlook from “food bank welfare kid” (his words) to college superstar.

What a great idea to contact HP and hooray for HP for coming through. I don’t know a family with needs like Tammy’s but I will post this over at my place.

Nice job, ladies.

This is SO generous of you. Wow and congratulations to Tammy on her dedication to her son and her new laptop! : )

Thinking if I know anyone…

I have no one to nominate, but YAY! YAY! YAY! for Tammy and HP!!

I don’t know anyone right now, but just wanted to say what an awesome thing!! You go girls!! Can’t wait to see who gets blessed with this one.

I’m thinking….

This is awesome - HP Thank You for your generosity!

This story was so touching to me! My aunt realized similar difficulties with her little girl and I worked with many children who had special needs in a summer camp. The struggles are constant for these parents, but they are so dedicated to these sweet little ones that they just keep trucking on! A gift like this will definitely be life changing for someone!

But I don’t know who. Will have to think on it!

Please check out my link above for my nomination for Lora. She’s about to go through a bone marrow transplant for CNS lymphoma which was diagnosed when she was 23 weeks pregnant with her 3rd child. Please read her story, because I know it’s changed me.

I don’t have a nomination. But just wanted to say to you gals at 5 minutes and HP thank you for changing someones life. To see a need and then ACT upon it, is a gift from above. Blessing to you.

Ooops wrong button. I will give this some serious thought. My lap top is my sanity life line to the outside world.

Very best wishes and thank you for making this happen for Tammy and [who ever it's going to be!]
Cheers

Awesome! Thank you 5m and HP! I just love hearing stories like these. I can’t think of anyone who needs a laptop but I’m excited to see who gets it!

I don’t have any nominations, but wanted to say how awesome HP is!

I don’t have anyone to nominate, but I will be posting about this on my blog, to try and spread the word if you will - what a great idea and congrats to Tammy - such a wonderful thing!

i put my post up. i am nominating my family, because my hubby is in college and it’s now a requirement to have a laptop. (we could never afford one) that story reallt touched me

Oh ladies, how amazing. What a blessing for Tammy and her family. And what a blessing for whoever gets the second one. You both are doing great work with your influence and reach. Keep up the great work.

:–) Nell

I don’t have a nomination either, but I’m so pleased to see a corporation that responded so positively to your request and even went above and beyond! My son just purchased an HP laptop, and my other son is about to, and now I will. I was going back and forth, but you’ve made my mind up. If a corporation takes steps like this, they deserve my loyalty as a customer. Thank you for making us aware!!

I would like to nominate my friend K. She is a 30 year old mom of 5 who has overcome many difficulties in her life and is going to school to get her bachelor’s degree. She works so hard at everything she does and is such a good mom despite all the things she’s trying to juggle. She was a single mom with her first baby at 19, but has totally turned her life around and is a volunteer with an organization that helps young mothers access information, training and needed supplies. She is also very active in the children’s ministry at our church and her life is an encouragement and testimpny to so many people.

She has managed to keep a 4.0 so far in college, but often has to leave her kids at home with family and friends so that she can go to the computer lab at school or to the non-profit where I work to use a computer and printer. A few weeks ago, she spent all day doing research at the library for a paper, but lost most of it because the printer was broken. Having a laptop and printer would enable her to work more from home and be able to use her time more productively so she could spend more time with her kids.

They are VERY stretched financially because of her husband’s job situation, but she works very hard to make ends meet and is still very generous and shares what she has in every way she can. She and her family would be so blessed by this. Thanks!

I never knew a laptop could make me cry tears of joy. Thank you HP, and thank you Janice and Susan for approaching them with the idea. Tammy will indeed rule the world…well, maybe just the bloggy world, but still…

And the giveaway rocks my world! Thanks HP! I knew I loved you and your products. Off to consider my nominee.

Janice, you should be proud of yourself for taking the initiative and using your resources to help Tammy. More and more I’m impressed with all the kindness of the blog community.

Now, this made my heart smile! So wonderful. Awesome work, Janice! Tammy is a dear, dear person and this is perfect for her. She contributes to much to so many individual lives.

What a wonderful idea! That post brought tears to my eyes! Thumbs up for HP!

what a wonderful thing HP did for Tammy and for another deserving family!

Yay! For Tammy !! And huge kudos to HP.

I want to remove myself from the nomination. When I read closer (after I voted), I realized it wasnt a voting for Tammy which I thought it was. There are more people much much more deserving than I.

I would like to nominate one of my MOPS moms…she’s my prayer partner right now, as we are both on the steering committee this year. C has had a hard life. She is the mother to five children, ranging in age from 13 to 4. The two youngest suffer from Lamellar Ichthyosis (this is a skin condition where the skin cells grow too fast, causing extreme flaking - their eyes are also affected, pulling the corners down and making them appear distorted - google the term for images). When the youngest, a girl, was born, C’s husband walked out. He’d had to deal with a son being born with it, and he didn’t have the guts to deal with another child having LI. These children have a lot of issues dealing with this condition - they can not sweat, so they overheat easily.

The judgment from people who see these kids is horrible. My kids (bless their hearts) do not see the disease, they see the hearts and souls. People look at them as though they are contagious; I’ve even seen young children pull their friends away. C has not been able to afford to put the youngest in preschool this year; the only “free” school in the area isn’t the best and has a long waiting list.

It’s been hardest on C, who really only wanted to be a great mom to her kids, but now she must be mom and dad to all five. She was not working, determined to be a homeschooling mom, but realized there was no way for her to do this and provide for her children. She has a job that meets the basic necessities. She and her kids live in a low-rent area, and with children entering middle school, I know a laptop and printer are far beyond her means.

I have no nomination, just wanted to say thanks so much for the generosity to this family. And thanks for starting a contest to donate another one to someone else. THIS stuff is why I keep coming back over and over!

Yay for HP, and yay for you girls for getting the ball rolling!

I’d like to nominate my sister Rachel and brother Philip. These two are going to college together to save money (the University was not Rachel’s first choice), where they will be renting an apartment and paying all their own living expenses and tuition. These two have been living at home, helping my parents take care of 3 younger siblings and an elderly, infirmed grandmother who lives with the family. Both of them hold jobs but they continue to help the family, without pay, with the janitorial job that helps make ends meet. This is in addition to paying rent while they live at home. They also are active in volunteering their time at church and help organize events for families in the community. They both demonstrate selflessness and a dedication to family and to excellence in their pursuits. Both are talented musicians who work very hard at their art.
They would be thrilled to have a computer, and would gladly share it between them.
I am very proud of my siblings and I wish them the best of success at school. I know they will work hard to achieve it.
Thanks to HP for their generosity - this is a great idea!

Okay having read through all the entries on there, while there are so many that touched my heart, I think if I could choose I’d give the second laptop to Life Is Like A Mountain Railway - her request is on the other side of the spectrum - a case of education costs & time affecting the family, as opposed to the Special Needs families also facing great economic and emotional strain, but her story is no less deserving in my opinion than Tammy’s - what a great opportunity to help a family in the midst of doing all they possibly can for each other and truly making it easy for her husband to stick with his education and persue his dreams.
Just my two cents.

This is a great idea! I suspect that being in the UK will rule me out of making a nomination, but what a fantastic idea!

The Broken Man

[...] all of this pales compared to what Janice and Susan over at http://www.5minutesformom.com have been up to with HP. They have come up with an opportunity to help out other families that face [...]

I vote for Christina (nominated by Renee at Life with My Special Ks)!!!!!

Great give away!! Thoughts and prayers to all the families!

HP and you guys are so amazing! I would like to nominate the “My Sister Friends House”, aka “Mita Maske Ti Ki”. They are a safety services and advocacy program working to end domestic violence and child abuse in South Dakota. Unfortunately many of their grants have recently fallen through, and they need to raise money quickly to stay open. I know that if they had this laptop, they could increase their online visibility and raise more money. In the longer term, it would help them to maintain their programs more efficiently, and let them spend money budgeted for technology on other, pressing needs.

http://mysisterfriendshouse.blogspot.com/

That’s an impressive effort. Thanks to you and HP! The power of blogging is alive and well.

im adding to Life with my special K’s vote of Christina.

I vote for Christina who was nominated by Renee at Life With My Special Ks. She is truly a super mom who would benefit greatly from this contest!

This is such an awesome idea and I am so glad that somone will benefit from this contest!!!

Good luck and God Bless You ALL!!!

Opps. My brain seems to have run away. I added my link thinking it was the wordless wednesday post.

That is so great that HP has helped out like that. I’m sure you’ll find someone very deserving.

Thankfully, I don’t know anyone off the top of my head who is need. But how awesome of HP to do this. And to u for asking!! That Parker is quite a cutie.

I would like to nominate my husband for the laptop and printer.

My husband works two jobs so that I can stay home with my 5 year old son who has autism. Our son has been kicked out of daycare, sent home from preschool, and suffered numerous ridicule from children and adults. Therefore, it became necessary for one of us to stay home with him.

In order for this to happen, we cut way back on all our bills. My husband no longer could eat lunch out, play games with his friends, etc.

This fall, he will be taking college night classes in order to have a chance at a brighter job. We can not afford to purchase a computer; but, he will desperately need one.

Furthermore, my son would benefit from specialized speech and language software that could be installed.

We could really use a burst of sunshine in our gloomy day!

This is such a great giveaway. I nominated my sister. She is 23 and recently had a stroke. It was so unexpected and completely changed her and my family forever. She is doing wonderfully and recovering but she can’t do all that her neurologists asks because she doesn’t have access to a computer. It is also very difficult for us because we live 2 hours away from her and we can’t keep in touch with pictures and emails like we need to. This laptop would also give her the opportunity to research medicines, doctors and treatments that she doesn’t know about. She was uninsured at the time of her medical crisis and has had a hard time accessing information.

Thank you to HP for giving a laptop to Tammy and her family and for making this opportunity possible.

I am seconding Sarah’s nomination for Lora Kesselhohn. Sarah’s blog is The Mommylogues (Link #3).

Lora’s is such an amazing story. If I had time right now I would describe it, but just click on Sarah’s link (again, link #3) and she describes Lora’s miraculous story.

I’d like to vote for Christina (nominated by “life with my special Ks”) Thanks!

I’d like to add Christina as a nominee as well. I created her blog look, and it was a pleasure working with her. I can’t think of a nicer person who could get some good use out of a laptop.

I have no nominations, but would like to say: “Good job!” What a great opportunity for a deserving Mom.

I don’t have a nomination but I just had to say how wonderful this is! This is just so amazing! I love it when good things happen to good people!!

You have used your connections in a wonderful way! Parker is a very handsome young man!! I really admire Tammy. You have made a huge difference in her life, I am sure!

I nominate AZ Chapman, a young teen self-advocate who has contributed to the blog world in an amazing way.

And I congratulate the wonderful Tammy! whoo hoo!

I am voting for Sarah’s nomination for Lora Kesselhohn. Sarah’s blog is The Mommylogues (Link #3). I think Lora deserves the laptop

What a wonderful thing to do for her & Parker. You ladies are wonderful.

I vote for Christina…nominated by Renee at Life with My Special Ks.

Great idea!! Thank you for taking the time to do this. HP makes me proud that both my husband I purchased HP for our education and work needs last year.

I feel like a heel nominating myself, but, I think once I get my story out, you’ll understand why I am.

My husband and I are supporting our three kids as well as my parents. My mother is a breast cancer survivor, my dad has COPD and is on full time oxygen. I have fibromyalgia, as well as endometriosis, PTSD from multiple traumas, bipolar disorder, and other illnesses. I am also a domestic violence survivor. This all plays into who I am nominating, so please bear with me.

I have three children, my oldest son is 10, and will be a 5th grader this year, my daughter is 7, and will be second grader, and my youngest son is 5, and will start kindergarten.

My older two children are both also survivors of domestic violence, my son moreso than his sister, as she was a toddler when we escaped. He was also for the most part, the primary target of my ex-husband’s abuse. Because of this, my son has PTSD, anxiety issues, and other issues. On top of this, we were told last year that he has Asperger’s Disorder, a form of highly functioning autism, as well as the moderate ADHD that he was diagnosed with when he was 4. My son’s teacher last year told us that he needs to have an IEP (an individualized education plan) for a laptop, but the school didn’t approve it. We have seen over the last two school years that his work does improve greatly when he can do his work on a computer instead of having to write everything out, but we can’t afford a laptop for him, because we’re trying to support a family of seven people on our income.

I just want my son to be able to do well in school NOW and to be able to be successful in school NOW, so that when he moves up to middle school, he can move up with the confidence that he can do it. Right now, he’s pretty convinced that he can’t.

I’m nominating the Vara family at the Pray for Abbie blog. They have been through a lot the past few years and I know this would bless them immensely. I put the link above and you all can read about their journey.

We have linked up. Thank you so much for your generosity. This is so awesome. Well we have a story on our blog and we thought this family is very deserving. Please read about them. They just said goodbye to their mother on August 11th at her funeral. We don’t know the family personally, we heard about them on our local news and have reached out to the community for their support. A Laptop and Printer would be so very cool and exciting for them. Thank you for this opportunity!

Jarrod Joseph and Bree from CVA

I vote for I vote for Christina (nominated by Renee at Life with My Special Ks)!!!!! that is a very inspirational story, and I know that without my laptop I would be lost and we don’t depend on our computer for many Important things just for fun. This is such a wonderful gift.

I just read this and feel so moved and incredibly grateful. My situation isn’t great, but it is certainly nothing to complain about when I look around at others. I will think about who to nominate. For now, I just wanted to tell you THANK YOU for sharing. Parker and his family (mommy especially) are in my prayers.

I would like my vote to go for Lora (Nominated by Sarah @ themommylogs #3).

What an awesome giveaway!

HP Rocks!

Tammy is an awesome mommy and I’m so glad that you were able to get her a laptop!

Pay it Forward and I love it! Thank you for what you are doing. When my daughter was dx with cancer we were inpatient more times than I would like to remember….this 6 years ago when laptops were waaaay too costly and we would have to wait to come home and post an update about our daughter’s progress. There was one computer at the hospital that all the parents could “share”…needless to say you could never get on.- I didn’t want to post this on my blog, but I would like to nominate a fellow parent of a child with cancer…he went through 3 years of daily chemo treatment only to relapse a month later. He is now undergoing 2 more years of daily chemotherapy treatment and is currently inpatient- he could use the laptop to watch DVDs and his mother could update from the hospital room. He also has a new baby sister so mom is in way over her head. Here is 6 year old Logan’s site: http://logansbravejourney.blogspot.com

Bless you for helping others!

I started out reading “Once Upon A Time There Was A Retard…” before coming to this post. While reading this post, my 6 year old daughter was looking at the photos of Parker. She pointed to the one in the crib and I was ready with my explanation for the tube. To my surprise she said “Hey, he has the same stuffed animal as I do!” She was really excited about that. Then following that statement, she got a serious look on her face, pointed to the picture again and (once again I’m ready with my explanation), she says “He looks like he is big enough for a big boy bed.” He is accepted.

I am e-mailing my nomination to you. Thanks for the chance.

I want to nominate a student whom I work with in youth ministry. She is the eldest of 8 children and will be starting college in the fall. The father was laid off his job and is currently working a temp job, but it clearly is not enough. This family of 10 lives in a single wide mobile home which they have obviously outgrown. At this point moving is just not an option - the funds just aren’t there. Having any funds for anything extra is pretty non-existent. I know this student will be blessed tremendously.

I echo what Sarah said in #11. I nominate Lora who is undergoing a bone marrow transplant. I have personally had my own bone marrow transplant 10 years ago and understand how difficult it can be. Please read her story.

I vote for Christina and Kallie (nominated by Renee). Christina is making so many life changes for the betterment of her family, she really needs the computer to maintain her job.

What a wonderful way to bless a struggling family!

What a wonderful story! I don’t have a nomination. I do have an HP laptop that I love and after reading this story; the next one will be too.

Good Job!!

I want to nominate a beautiful woman named Brandi. She and her husband Randy have 5 wonderful kids ranging from ages about 10 to about 4. Yep, that’s right, 5 kids in 6 years. When their youngest child Miles was born, he was perfectly healthy. At seven weeks old he died in his sleep from SIDS. They were able to find him and rescucitate him, but not before his brain was terribly damaged. They divide their time between taking the best care of Miles, loving their other 4 kids like crazy, having a life group in their home for our church, Randy owns his own business and more than I can name. Brandi is an amazing writer, she is going back to school at 30 years old. At this very moment, Miles is back in the hospital and her laptop crashed so she has no way to keep us up to speed. This gift would be an incredible blessing. And she just deserves the best. I want her to have the best.

Hi! I am nominating my husband as a man who has an extraordinary need and deserves more than I am able to give him. We are a family of five. He is in graduate school and I stay home to care for and school our three children.

Three years ago, before we moved to TX, I bought him a lap top as a gift for going back to school. While in Seminary he has been holding down 3 jobs simultaneously - Teacher, Security Officer, and Full Time Graduate Student.

Some people call him Superman, but since that title is taken, I will call him Renaissance Man. Not only is he the hardest working man I know, he never complains about how many hours he has to work even when he is completely exhausted. He leaves for his teaching position at 7am, attends classes in the afternoon, and then goes off to his security job before getting home at 1:30 AM the next morning!

He manages to juggle all of his responsibilities without leaving his family in debt of spending time with him. School is one of his passions in life and he would go the rest of his life given the chance! Fortunately, for us, he only has a couple of years left.

His laptop is dying and we cannot afford to fix it with the frugal budget we have to live on. He has tried to fix the ole gal but she’s not getting better, she is pretty sick and he doesn’t give her much time to live.

Because of his teaching job and his own classes, he uses his lap top everyday. I would give anything to give him another laptop that will carry him the rest of the way through school and beyond because he has worked harder for his family than any man I know.

Thank you,

Rebecca

Hi! I’m not sure how all this goes because I’m new to the whole blogging scence! Hope to figure it all out soon!

I want to second the nomination for Brandi (that Francesca made). She is a blessing to many and a great Mom to her 5 children. She has spent so much time at hospitals since Miles’ injury that it is very hard to imagine her being able to go without one for very long… especially with going back to school in the next few weeks. Please consider them for your giveaway.

I’m a single-again Mama of a 4 1/2 year old little girl. Being single again means having to work a lot more to make ends meet. I began my own photography business but have to go to my parents to work on my website, edit photos and burn CDs for clients. Have a laptop/printer at home would greatly increase my ability to obtain clients, work on photos and would definitely increase the money coming into the house.

I also know Brandi (Francesca’s nomination) and it’s hard to even put into words the kind of family they are.

Since Miles’ stuff started, they have gone through many hospital stays, eye surgery trying to help him see, botox treatments trying to loosen up his muscles, a standing frame to stretch him out, a hip that wouldn’t stay in place, which lead to a spica cast (a cast from right under his arms all the way down to his feet) for 2 months, leg braces, body suits, feeding issues. . . the list could go on.

But through it all, Miles has been a blessing to them. He can’t talk. He can’t walk. He can’t give them a hug, but he is an amazing part of that family and it is obvious that they are crazy in love with him and so is anyone that meets him.

The funny thing is that Brandi is such an encourager. She can be with Miles in the hospital and I’ll get a text message of encouragement. Random cards show up in my mailbox of her encouraging me. The one who probably needs encouragement the most is encouraging me. When I read that her laptop crashed and I saw this opportunity, I thought this was a perfect opportunity to encourage her.

What a great thing that you are doing!

I am choosing to nominate my Husband. I will post on my blog for the reasons as to why. I hope it is him that gets picked. And huge congratulations to Tammy and her family. And thank you guys for doing this for us and many thanks to HP as well.

I nominate Kori’s husband Richard. Please view her blog to read the nomination letter. They are a very deserving family.

I just have to say #5 is my friend Carrie, and I can’t agree more with her nomination of her husband. All of you can imagine what it is like to have 3 little rugrats running around while studying after a long day of work. Imagine the frustration of being on a slow computer that is seconds away from crashing. I can vouch for the amazingness of this family. And I hope you would strongly consider Carrie’s hubby for this wonderful gift!

This is wonderful. I was once in a room full of 200 people where people stood up and said what they needed. Others stood up and offered to solve their problems. Everyone in that room got taken care of by the end of the day. It was eye-opening. This post about the laptops and blogging in general reminded of that day.

I would love to nominate Kori’s husband from Life of a CFer’s wife. He is dying of stage for recurrent colon cancer and is struggling to deal with the everyday challenges of being a young dad who is dying. I pray things will turn around for him, but I know this would lift his spirits. He has his own blog, but it’s been neglected because it’s hard for him to sit up for too long. A laptop would be something he could use while lying down. Please consider him for your contest. I’m sure it would bless he and his family greatly.

i nominate kori’s husband, richard. he has cystic fibrosis and cancer and could use it while in the hospital! I think what you are doing is great!

I would like to nominate Kori’s husband Richard. Ever since I was 13 this family has become my family! Richard or Dad as I know call him is my second father! I can tell him anything and everything and I know he is there supporting me all the way!! Thank you for this contest!

I would like to nominate my daughter Sarah. She is an extraordinary young woman. As a child she had struggled to fit in because she has hearing lose. Other kids her age could not understand her problems and often she was left out. But she did not let it get her down. She was 7 years old before she heard birds chirping and the sound of crickets and tree frogs. of course this scared her terribly. Thru school she had such a battle with grades. She did not hear the teachers well and often got the wrong answers because of this. But now she has found new was to help her and she is an honor student. She will be finishing high school soon and getting ready to leave us for colledge. my husband and I are both disabled and are living on fixed incomes. We wanted so much to get her a laptop to help her with her schooling but we are unable to find the extra money. Sarah is truelly an exceptional child. She could have given into the tempation to give up and get by. But to her this was not an option. She has complete deafness in one ear and is gradually losing the hearing in her other. She said “Mom I want to learn all I can while I can hear so that way I will be that much farther ahead when I can’t”. I think that is so inspiring! I wish I had half of her determination. So please consider her for the HP. It would help her so much!

I would like to vote for Brandi (Francesca’s nomination). She is the best and deserves the best.

I would like to nominate my friend Rebecca. She is a single mom of 4 kids and also helping raise her two grandsons. Her youngest daughter has Down Syndrome and she has helped so many of us build beautiful blogs who are apart of the Down Syndrome community– Donating several hours of her time. Unfortunately, her computer decided to take a hike and she can longer do this. Her computer was also one of her sources of income as well. We all miss Rebecca’s own blog and her special writing and pictures and we want her back! A new computer to her would be a dream come true!

I would like to vote for Kate because I’ve known her “real-live” for nearly 15 years. Her blog tells only part of her story but what she feels free to write about is plenty. I have watched her persevere through some horrendous struggles yet she just keeps going and going and going (because someone has to). I know she would put that laptop to good use and it would be a real blessing to her family. It may not undo her kidlets’ problems but it would definitely make aspects of her life easier. Thank you for making this opportunity available.

In the spirit of the entry made by #76, maybe more could be done. Sharing these entries with other organizations might garner others to share freely from the blessings they enjoy…if they just knew these families existed. I would like to extend His blessings to those involved in this worthy endeavor…they deserve it.

Thanks again. :o) Shawn

This is such a touching story. I’m so happy to have had the chance to nominate a friend.

I would like to nominate my mom, Kate, to receive the laptop.

I am the oldest of 7 children in a family where every child has multiple medical “issues”. Among my siblings and myself, there are 7 with a connective tissue disorder called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, 4 diagnosed on the autism spectrum, 5 with Chiari Malformation Type 1, 4 with Tethered Cord Syndrome, 1 with Spina Bifida who is also g-tube dependent & 1 with PCOS.

Our family’s neurosurgeon, orthopedist, urologist & gastroenterologist are 300 miles from our home, so my mom takes a lot of trips north to get kids to the specialists. Then there are the hospitalizations. A lot of them. For example, there have been 3 brain surgeries, 3 spinal cord surgeries and 4 abdominal surgeries just in the past year for my youngest brother (who turned 2 in March). I have 2 siblings who are going to have spinal cord surgery and 2 who are facing brain surgery in the near future. Surgeries and long hospitalizations happen frequently and since my dad has to work, my mom is the one who takes care of all the medical stuff.

My mom is going to have to start taking kids to New York and Maryland (we live in Oregon) to see the specialists there (at The Chiari Institute) because our connective tissue disorder makes the chiari & tethered cord problems so complicated that it’s gone beyond what our general neurosurgeon can deal with.

Did I mention that my mom homeschools all of us kids, too? =D

If she had a laptop, it would enable her to stay in contact with the family & with friends when she is at the hospital with a child. She could update her blog every day, multiple times a day if necessary, to let the people who read it (it’s private at this time) know what was going on so they would know what to be praying for. Often, my mom doesn’t have the time to sit and talk on the phone when she’s up at the hospital, which means that people don’t know what’s happening. Also, having to repeat the same information over and over gets tiring for her, especially when she’s trying to take care of a hurting kiddo. Even though the hospital has a computer room, she rarely gets to go there because she can’t leave my sibling’s bedside very often. If she had a laptop, she could update from the hospital room & everyone would be happy because they’d have information.

If you would consider my mom for the laptop, I would be very appreciative.

Megan P.

I would like to nominate my brother “Charles”, he and my sister in law had their first born son this last December and he has already undergone two open heart surgeries. “Porter” their son has a very rare condition which is a re corrected trans-posed heart. I do not have all the details to explain the condition to you exactly (it is very technical medical jargon), but I can tell you that he has been on a feeding tube since birth, has a pace maker, and is on oxygen. They have started a blog to update family and friends on Porter’s condition, because he is not able to go out among people very much at all. He has been able to get out a few times this Summer because of the good weather, but once September hits they will be staying indoors until next Summer. They are hoping that by avoiding a lot of people they can keep him healthy and strong to prepare him for yet another surgery that is scheduled for sometime around his second birthday.
My brother is a full time student, and full time worker with his wife staying at home. He wakes up at 4:30-5:00 a.m. to start his early shift of work so that he can finish up with enough time to be at school in the afternoons. He is hoping to graduate this next Spring, but will have to switch his schedule around so that he will not be able to be at home as much to fit in all of the classes that are required of him his Senior year.
All of the medical bills have been very taxing and have put a lot of pressure on my brother to provide for the family. He does have a lap top that he takes with him to school, but this does leave his wife all day without to have access to in any given room that she may be with Porter that day.
They are very optimistic in hoping that they can get Porter on track to be able to finish his third and last surgery, but he is having a hard time with keeping his food down and they are unsure why. Because of this they are still trying out different medicines and processes to keep it all together. My sister-in-law has found comfort from keeping in touch with her friends that she met at the hospital who have similar heart conditions with their infants. Because of being home bound her number one form of this communication with family and friends is through the internet. Thank you for your consideration, and I am so happy to hear that there is a company who cares enough to help people in serious conditions. Thank you.
Camille

I would like to nominate Kate #30. The laptop would really be a blessing to her family.

I got tears when I read that you helped this mother like this and knew who I wanted to nominate. My friend, Tina Newson, yes, we share the same name-Tina!She is a CF lady and is in the hospital alot and is needing a a double lung transplant.

I got tears when I read that you helped this mother like this and knew who I wanted to nominate. My friend, Tina Newson, yes, we share the same name-Tina!She is a CF lady and is in the hospital alot and is needing a a double lung transplant. Thanks so much for considering her.

I can’t say my life situation is as dire as Parker’s mom’s, but a laptop is something I think about every single day.

I’m a WAHM. I’m self employed as a doula. I’ve had two clients since January. I’ve only been at it for two years, so that’s why I’m not getting many clients.

My husband works at a job that doesn’t pay well, but it’s something he loves. When we had our second child last year, we underestimated how it would impact our lives financially.

I had massive problems breastfeeding. A few hundred dollars worth of medicine later, I finally went to formula full time. Even buying the less expensive stuff made me choke at the expense. I had breastfed my first son successfully, so this expense was a real burden we hadn’t anticipated.

We started having trouble buying groceries so I got frugal. In fact, we went vegetarian at home because meat is rather expensive.

Then, in January, after buying a new tire (blow out on Christmas Eve between uncle’s and great granny’s house) and a new battery, the starter went on the car. It’s been sitting idle in the driveway ever since. Heck, if it were running, we probably wouldn’t be driving anyway!

I have a blog for my business and I started another blog that I really think could have legs. I love writing it, but I rarely have time. (There is actually a minipost on the bottom of the front page asking for anyone’s old used laptop, if they were considering getting rid of one.)

The computer is in the kitchen, at the opposite end of our apartment from where my boys play. Whenever I sit at the computer, the baby goes straight to the garbage can and starts pulling stuff out. Or he tries crawling under the desk and goes for the wires.

At least once a day I think: if only I had a laptop, I could sit in the living room and type while the kids play in a safe place. I could focus on writing and increasing readership so that I could attract advertisers. I could work on promoting my business online and attract more clients. Maybe I could even do some more freelance writing and earn money that way, like I used to do before I had kids.

So, my problems aren’t glamorous, but a laptop would absolutely increase my quality of life, allowing me to work more often and with more focus.

I humbly submit my own family for consideration.

My post is up, #33. If I had the laptop and printer I could work again from home so that I could take care of my son and myself (and my daughter) financially and physically.

My heart breaks for Kori so I would love her to win the laptop for Richard. Everyone’s stories are very moving. If only there we 35 laptops to give away!

I want to also nominate Brandi (francesca’s nominee) to win the laptop. Brandi is so beautiful in the way she lives her life and truly exemplifies Christ’s love in the way she loves all of her friends. My favorite thing about Brandi is that even though she has a son that requires a lot of attention, she doesn’t ever make the other 4 children (or husband) feel like they’re forgotten. Through all of her circumstances, she still praises God and His goodness. Oh! And she introduced me to Jesus too. That’s another reason I love her so much.

I don’t know of anyone to nominate, I appoligize for linking in the box above for I do not have a story to tell…or a nominee to nominate EXCEPT FOR LINK NUMBER 3 WICH IS WELL WORTH THE VOTE…

I just want to say how wonderful you are for doing what you have done. Congrats to Tammy on her new computer, But…Tammy, My heart goes out to you and I commend you on your strengths!!!

My son-in-law’s brother and wife, Justin and Jennifer Hall, had a baby one year ago. He was born at 23 weeks premature. He has never left the hospital, and is a fighter. He celebrates his first birthday in September, and the doctors are saying he may come home by Christmas. Jennifer is an amazing momma, and her heart has been touched by people who encourage her at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/drakehall.
I would love to nominate this family. For the past year Jennifer and her hubby have dealt with this privately and with family, but the Internet has opened doors to communicate with others who have struggled with the same issues, and who link together with them in encouragement. A new laptop would allow her to use it while she’s at the hospital with Drake, and to upload and submit photos and videos of her beautiful baby boy.

I would love to nominate my daughter, Julia, to have a laptop given to her. She is only 5, but she has a brain disorder, called schizencephaly, that has left her without speech. She was born with the disorder and has struggled to communicate. We have taught her sign language and the school district has purchased her a vantage/vanguard communication device. This is a great talking box, as we call it, but the school does not allow her to bring it home or have it over vacations. A new laptop would make it easier for her to communicate with us and others out in our community. We would be grateful for the opportunity of getting this valuable communication tool for her.

I’d like to nominate my friend Sherry. She is an amazing woman who has had a real string of losing loved ones this last year, including her grandmother, a close friend and father in law.

Sherry has blessed the moms in our church for years by taking care of our kids during the weekly moms group and served as a leader for our teen girls group. At home, she is raising three phenomenal young women, having home schoole them while working as a nurse and taking in foster children.

Her husband, Mike, bakes fresh bread for every communion service and for the pastor to take to visitors to our church. He is always able to lend a hand when the other men need to move anything.

All of the girls have babysat for us, at 12, Mel was the only one I felt could handle my 17 month old and one month old! All of the girls are willing to hang out with a four or five year old. The oldest two are now done high school and with university starting, they really do need one - they have never owned a computer.

My vote is for Stacey Hay.
Her 5 yr old is one amazing little girl that tries so hard to communicate with the world. Stacey is an amazing mom of 5 kids! And to this day I don’t understand why Julia’s school will not allow her to communicate using the talk box they bought. This laptop would open new doors for Julia and help her to interact with typical peers.

Awesome of HP!!! I’m so touched by your gift to Tammy…could anyone need a laptop more? Wow, what a story, and what a great mom for Parker.

Thanks for being an inspiration!