A child's example

As I was preparing for this week’s lunchtime service at Priory, I came across a moving and heart-warming story from America. It concerns a young girl called Rachel Beckwith. From an early age, Rachel appears to have had a very generous spirit. At the age of 5, she learned at school about an organization called Locks of Love, which uses hair donations to make wigs for children who have lost their own hair because of cancer or other diseases. Rachel then asked to have her long hair shorn off and sent to Locks of Love. After the haircut, Rachel announced that she would grow her hair long again and donate it again after a few years to Locks of Love.

Then when she was 8 years old, her church began raising money to build wells in Africa through an organization called charity:water. Rachel was aghast when she learned that other children had no clean water, so she asked to skip having a ninth birthday party. In lieu of presents, she asked her friends to donate $9 each to charity:water for water projects in Africa. Rachel set up a birthday page on the charity:water web site with a target of $300. She was a little disappointed that the total raised was only $220.

Then, on July 20 2011, Rachel and her family were involved in a serious motor accident. Although the rest of her family was unhurt, Rachel was left critically injured. Church members and friends, seeking some way of showing support, began donating on Rachel’s birthday page and donations surged past her $300 goal, and kept mounting.

When it was clear that Rachel would never regain consciousness, the family decided to remove life support. Her parents donated her hair a final time to Locks of Love, and her organs to other children. Word spread about Rachel’s last fund-raiser. Contributions poured in. One 5-year-old girl sent in the savings in her piggy bank of $2.27. When the donations page was finally closed, the total raised was a staggering $1,265,823, including donations from all around the world.

Scott Harrison, the founder of charity:water, commented: “What has been so inspiring about Rachel is that she has taught the adults. Adults are humbled by the unselfishness of this little girl.” And Rachel’s pastor stated: “Rachel wasn’t about words. She was about action. I think we could all learn from that. Small steps of loving sacrifice are the keys to unlocking big dreams.”