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Ministry Touches Lives of Young Cancer Victims
By Craig Pinley
BLUE ISLAND, IL (November 2, 2001) - Mario Gomez Sr. wanted to honor the memory of his son who died in 1999 of a rare form of cancer.
Mario's Kids is the fruit of his labor of love, a program that provides gifts to young cancer victims at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Gomez received assistance in funding the project from other members in his church, Mission Covenant Church in Blue Island.
Thirty-two children have been blessed by this new ministry. Gomez donated gifts for Christmas last year and at Easter earlier this year. At Thanksgiving, he will head to Children's Memorial
Hospital again thanks to funds donated primarily by parishioners at Mission Covenant, a church founded in 1894 on Chicago's southwest side.
Mario Gomez Jr. was diagnosed in December 1997 with a rare and aggressive form of cancer affecting his muscle tissue. A tumor in an armpit quickly grew from the size of a mosquito bite to that of a small grapefruit. Mario Sr. left his job driving truck and stayed with his son while he fought his illness.
Amazingly, doctors were able to remove the cancerous lump from Mario's armpit and he was able to be away from the hospital for longer periods of time while being treated.
Young Mario made the most of his time, finding ways to care for others. On one occasion in 1998, when he discovered a friend didn't have proper clothing for the winter, Mario asked his father if they could help. A winter coat, mittens, scarf and a hat were purchased as a Christmas gift for Mario's friend.
A few weeks later, doctors discovered the cancer had returned, this time in the brain, and Mario died. His father knows that others can use the kind of support he has been given and hopes he can carry on his son's generous spirit through Mario's Kids.
"It was always in his heart to give," Gomez said of his son. "He was really a 'Jesus led' child. And anyone that talked about Jesus was Mario's pal. We were buddies and I know this is what Mario would have wanted."
Gomez Sr. knew about Mission Covenant through his son's friend, Evan Brady, and Brady's mother, Diane, among others. He began attending the church shortly after his son died and within a few months the story of his son's generosity had deeply touched the congregation of 70, according to pastor Gary Ridout. The congregation voted to establish a Mario's Kids Fund and a large jar was placed in the church narthex to receive donations.
Last Easter, the church raised $300 so the Gomez family (Mario Sr. and his new wife, Susan) could buy items such as crayons, activity books and Beanie Babies® for children at Children's Memorial Hospital. Another parishioner, attorney Cynthia Peterson, also helps with shopping for
gifts. The family hopes to extend the ministry to other hospitals in the future - a couple of local businesses already have donated items.
"I was devastated the first day I walked into the hospital ward," Gomez said in recalling his visit as part of the Mario's Kids program. "There were so many kids all over the floor with cancer. We just hope the next time we go that the numbers (of patients) are smaller."
For more information about the church and Mario's Kids, call Ridout at 708-385-1111.
Copyright © 2008 The Evangelical Covenant Church. |
