Few things in life are as beautiful as the sight of joy etched on a child’s face.
There is a purity and artlessness about a child, an innocence that is all the more touching because of its transience.
When that child has been through as much as Saige Werkman there is an added poignancy that is impossible to describe.
Four-year-old Saige suffers from heterotaxy syndrome, a disorder in which certain organs form in abnormal parts of the body. At six months she underwent a heart transplant; several major surgeries followed and she now has a weakened immune system.
Thanks to the Children’s Wish Foundation and Grove RV, Saige last week realized her dream of a camper, allowing her to spend summers where she wants to be: with her family, enjoying the great outdoors.
Viewers of Global Edmonton will have seen Saige exploring the trailer with sisters Hailey and Sierra and parents, Wes and Gloria.
The wish foundation’s associate director Anna Carr said the excited look on Saige’s face was the reason the organization existed.
“Her facial expression … you could see the joy and excitement … just full of life,” said Gloria.
While Saige’s story is a deeply personal one for the Werkman family, it also speaks to all of us and how we live, both as a society and individuals.
The saying “we are our brothers’ keepers” has a Biblical base, reflecting Jesus’ counsel that loving one another, and watching out for friends, neighbours and strangers is the greatest of all God’s commandments.
It is a principle that we should take to heart, whether we are Christians or not.
It is certainly a principle upheld by the Children’s Wish Foundation and RV Grove, two organizations that deserve maximum applause for helping a family that has been through so much.
Of course, it is a principle exemplified by the Stollery Children’s Hospital, which continues to care for Saige and help preserve the gift of life.
Saige’s inspirational story also brings to mind the proverb: I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet.
Life tests us continually. Sometimes our problems seem insurmountable, the pain unbearable. We wonder how we can face another day.
Then we come across a story about a four-year-old girl who has confronted unimaginable hurdles with courage, strength and resilience and we pause, are shocked, and moved to reflect.
It is natural to ask: How can I complain about anything again after hearing Saige’s story?
Wes says as a father he has been humbled by the challenges facing his youngest daughter, since he can only do so much to help.
He also speaks of the joy she has brought the family.
“Saige is a very active and exuberant child,” he says. “I would say she is the happiest kid I have ever met. She is a delight and blessing to our lives.”
We should all celebrate the blessing that is Saige.
