Two streets away from me Kristie is probably going through a similar routine. There is one main difference however. Kristie suffers with the genetic disorder Cystic Fibrosis (CF). Aside from the regular demands that having three active children places on her, she as well as her sister Nikki who also has Cystic Fibrosis (and has one child) have spent most of their lives in and out of hospitals now having IV antibiotics every month. They each have to do daily treatments to help manage the thick sticky mucus which clogs a number of the organs in their bodies (especially the lungs and pancreas). This causes a shortness of breath, chronic coughs and repeated chest infections.
Cystic Fibrosis of NZ says that at present there is no cure for CF but the affected gene has been identified and researchers are working to find ways to repair or replace it, and medications to treat CF complications. Currently Nikki is now on the active list for a double lung transplant.
To help raise awareness, last year Kristie and her sister started 65 days of good deeds for Cystic Fibrosis. This was inspired by '65 Roses' which is what some children with CF call their condition because the words are much easier for them to say. Each day from the month of June Kristie and her sister come up with random acts of kindness. This has included dropping flower pots off to strangers houses, paid parking tickets taped to parking meters, giving out trampoline park passes to kids and most recently handing out two bikes at a school assembly.
These ladies commitment to carry out their deeds for 65 days even when they find themselves laid up in the hospital or struggle to leave the house is inspiring. So often after a busy day I struggle to think of anyone other than myself. Last week I found myself rushing past a man struggling with his wheelchair. I later wondered how much would my offering to push him and have a conversation with him affect his day? This has challenged me as well as the work that Kristie and Nikki are doing, to look beyond my own circle and identify strangers who would benefit from a simple act of kindness. Just imagine what our world would look like if each day we committed to one random act of kindness for a stranger?
To help with Kristie and Nikki's deeds, I made 65 cake pop roses which they walked around downtown handing out to strangers. Their biggest shock was that each person expected them to be selling something. Its sad that so few people can expect a simple act of kindness now without expecting there to be some sort of strings attached.
To learn more about what Kristie and Nikki are doing, visit and follow their facebook page:
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