We were imprisoned for a crime we didn’t commit and the power to set us free was in your hands.
Thank you for making our release possible and helping people with Cystic Fibrosis.
On Friday, together with 98.5 Sonshine FM’s Tim Long, I was locked up behind the microphone, in King’s Square, Fremantle. Our six hour ‘Convict for a Cause’ broadcast raised much needed funding for Cystic Fibrosis WA.
Cystic Fibrosis is the most common life threatening, recessive genetic condition affecting Australian children. It’s affects a number of organs in the body and there is no cure. Fortunately, thanks to Cystic Fibrosis WA, life can be a lot more manageable for sufferers.
During the day we spoke to a number of people who provided listeners with a better understanding of the disease. Amongst those interviewed was Ben Maxey, a brave 12 year old who left his hospital bed to be at the event. Australian Idol contestant and crowd favourite, Chris Murphy, also joined in and busked for his bail. In the photo you can see him busking under the watchful eye of one of the prison guards.
A big thanks to BigDadGib who kicked off the fund raising with his donation as soon as I mentioned it early last week. Thanks Gib.
Convict for a Cause is an annual fund raising event. Thanks to your generosity, we managed to raise $2051.60. Cystic Fibrosis WA is still taking donations so you can still help by clicking here and donating. The tally has already risen since I originally published this post and I’m hoping that we’ll see even more money going towards this great cause.
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I love ya Rodney…
I can see God working through you.
It is a joy to be a small part of your ministry…
Plus… you looked so pitiful behind bars! 🙂
Well done.
I think it’s a great cause.
Although you being involved in this event is challenging me and making me a little uncomfortable. But that’s another story!
I urge Rodney’s readers to make a donation!
Thanks Gib.
I do admit that I do pitiful pretty well. 🙂
Thanks for your encouragement and your contribution, Peter.
We were able to pack up and walk away at the end of the day but those suffering with CF still face their daily treatment regime. I’m glad we were able to help in a small way.
I had a kid on camp once, who had been knocked back from every other camp he had ever asked to go on! All his life… Why? Because he had a incurable disease called Cystic Fibrosis… None of those other organisations, include the Christian ones, probably looked up CF – let alone bothered to ask. You know the old phrase: “See the person, not the problem.”
To be fair, I had a Dietitian friend who had worked with CF and conducted major research so I was a little “in the know” – but still…
Anyway, he was fine on camp. Then, he was an early teenager. He knew the natural consequences of skipping his enzymes – he knew his own vibes and percussions and so he basically took care of himself. He self-monitored his exercise and didn’t push himself (nor let himself miss out on fun stuff, I might add). Put bluntly, for my role as a youth worker, he was easier to manage than the average Asthma sufferer.
Sure he had some need for coughing out sometimes. And sure, I kept a closer eye on him than some of the other campers. Only a couple of key leaders were told of his condition… I guess a few kids might have asked him if they saw “vibes”… We had a couple of D & Ms during the camp to see that everything was fine. But in the end – he was ‘normal kid’ with an extraordinary daily treatment regime…
Dire consequences? yes, but worth excluding a kid from ‘life’? NO!
Funny how a little experience like that can have a life-long impact on me…(?) Freaks me out a bit that I’ve never been able to shake this memory!
BTW It was CFWA’s AGM yesterday…
Peter, I think that people are often afraid of things they don’t understand. The sad thing is that so many of the people you wrote about didn’t bother to check things out, simply preferring to deny the kid a wonderful opportunity.