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“Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help…”

How many times have you said those words to a friend in need? How many times have I?

All of us know someone who has been going through a tough time. Sometimes there are easy fixes: a phone call or a note, a friendly shoulder to lean on, a cup of coffee to share, or a warm meal to deliver. Some times, when we have nothing else to offer – either because we’ve exhausted all those options or because the person is just out of reach – all we can do is pray.

And then there are the extraordinary folks who tell us exactly what we can do to make things better.

Enter the Sommer family. Sammy Sommer is a 6-year-old boy who was recently diagnosed with leukemia. Save for following his mother on Twitter (she’s a huge social media guru) and exchanging a few tweets with one another, I do not know the Sommers. I haven’t met them (yet), but because they are part of my larger Jewish family, I feel connected to them. In a recent blog post, Sammy’s mom relays a conversation in which she tells him that at least 500 congregations said the “mi she-berach” (prayer for healing) for him. He was incredulous.

To prove to Sammy that he has the world’s attention, love and support, she has made the following request: If you want to help me show Sam how many people are on his team, so he can feel the love: Take a photograph of yourself wearing your favorite superhero shirt (or holding up their logo…or just smiling!) Print out the picture. Put it in an envelope and mail it to:

Sam Sommer, E571
Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin
P.O. Box 1997
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-1997

Now I know what I can do to help.

Tonight, I will hug my kids a little tighter when I put them to bed. And tomorrow? Tomorrow we’ll get into superhero mode and show Sammy a little love.

So, Challahcrumbs family, as we keep Sammy in our thoughts and prayers and wish him a complete recovery, let’s show him that we can all be his superheroes.

P.S. If you want to follow Sam’s story, you can do so here: http://supermansamuel.blogspot.com