WHAT IS THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS?
By Becky
What really is the true meaning of Christmas? In this fast-paced day and age, we all have actually lost the meaning…it’s too commercialized now.

Our children all want the best that money can buy… what happened to the meaning? The good feeling about friends and family being here and together for another holiday and having your health.

If you lose your health, you lose your sense of provider, independence, and gain a feeling of inadequacy. I’ve always said that our “racing family” always stick together – here is your opportunity to prove you have and enjoy the true meaning of Christmas this year.

John “the Juggler” Burdynski needs all of us now. He’s 43 years old, lives in Houston, TX and woke up the morning of November 9, 2009 with a headache.

Nothing new about that since he had been having them for awhile. But this one was different somehow. Shortly after 9:30am, he collapsed on the floor where his wife found him. They rushed him to the hospital where it was discovered he had a ruptured aneurism.

To make matter much worse, his son and daughter were already in the hospital and very sick!! His son, just 2 years old with Down’s Syndrome, was diagnosed with two more holes in his heart, after having one repaired at birth. His daughter (11 years old) had caught the swine flu and then contracted mono when her mother took her to the doctor. Her body is not fighting it off and it is now affecting her liver! She has since had a total blood transfusion and a partial one. Thankfully, she is beginning to see signs of recovery.

As a result of the aneurism, John cannot work. He was in sales but can no longer talk and his mobility is almost non-existent. John is a very proud man and won’t ask for help. He wrote Debbie Cherry that he will make do somehow, even if they have to move in with his parents. They have applied for assistance but were denied because they made too much money LAST YEAR. They wouldn’t even give them food stamps to help get through the holidays.

Let me give you a little background on John (and that is his real name). He is a 3-time National Pro Street Motorcycle drag racer with the AHDRA.

He owned his own business doing home remodeling, and was very good at it. He and Mary got married 16 years ago and were told they would never have children. Well, then along came Sabrina and then 9 years later, Zackery.

You never saw John at the track without his wife and kids. They were his whole world. John graced our track, Texas Motorcycle Drag Racing, just this past spring in Houston.

You can only imagine the frustration he feels right now. He is in a very bad way and feels like he is letting his family down because of his condition and he cannot get a job help to support them, feed them, or provide for his family.

John is not getting any better. Debbie Cherry has tried to set up an account at a bank for him, but keep running into one roadblock after another.

Below is an email Debbie Cherry got from John on how he feels about all of his¦

“well I guess I’m too proud to ask and to embarrass to try and talk to anyone about my problems. Just 3 months ago I was the best damn salesman in the world. Today I can’t even get a job delivering pizza. I’m so ashamed at not being able to feed my family. I need a miracle, I need my gift of gab back and all will be fine. I don’t know if I can live without it. I can’t go on being a total loser in life. Why didn’t he just take me? What's the point of going on?”

This breaks my heart- I too have disabilities, I too have felt the same way. However, I have had a strong push to go on…to make something out of a devastation on failing health, total dependence, and in his case – he feels unworthy, worthless to his family, a hinderance…RIGHT NOW HE NEED A PUSH ADJUST, ADAPT AND TO LIVE HIS LIFE TO THE FULLEST-TO GO ON.

Now the reason for this article. We need to help –donations of money, gifts, food, or whatever, for this family…even just a card or phone call-even the gift of hope and encouragement.

And let’s not stop there after Christmas, this fella racer still will need help. Just because Christmas is over, his life and his family will not get better over night.

One of the other racers from Dallas drove all the way down here and brought them a Christmas tree, complete with decorations.

In the true meaning of Christmas, to open up your hearts. This family is in desperate need of any type of help right now, and being that it’s Christmastime makes it all the more urgent.

After all they still have each other.

John Burdynski
16203 Cutten Road
Houston, TX 77070