We had lived nine days in an emotional casino, awaiting the results of Michael's bone marrow tests. Before I left for work on February 26, 1992. I spent a special time in prayer for our 6-month-old son. The test results were due later that day.
我们在富有情感的赌场中整整生活了9天，苦苦等待迈克尔骨髓化验的结果。1992年2月26日上班前，我特地为我们6个月的儿子祈祷。化验结果在那天晚些时候将会出来。

The latest link in our family chain of Jacklyn, 9, Amy, 6, and Kevin, 3, was blood-haired, blue-eyed Michael Jeffrey Lee-land. Not long after I started my new teaching job at Kamiakin Junior High near Seattle, Michael had developed pneumonia. Though he responded well to treatment, the doctor was concerned that his platelets. the clotting cells in his blood, were at a surprisingly low level. A month later, physicians at Children's Hospital and Medical Center inserted a long needle into Michael's pelvic bone and removed a sample of his bone marrow. Then we took our baby home to wait for the test result-and pray.
由9岁的杰克林、6岁的艾米和3岁的凯文所组成的家庭链条，最近又增加了一环，那就是金发碧眼的迈克尔·杰弗里·利兰德。我在西雅图附近的开米亚金初中开始任教不久，迈克尔就患上了肺炎。治疗反应良好，不过医生仍然担心，他血液中的凝血细胞——血小板数目低得惊人。一个月后，儿童医院和医疗中心的医生们把一根长针插进了迈克尔的盆骨，抽取骨髓样品。于是，我们就把宝宝带回家中，等待化验结果并进行祈祷。

Later on that morning of February 26, the clock on my office wall reminded me that it was time to call home. The minute I heard my wife's voice I knew it was bad news. "Michael has what?" I asked.
2月26日上午晚些时候，挂在办公室墙上的时钟提醒我该到给家里打电话的时候了。一听到妻子的声音，我就立刻知道情况不妙。“迈克尔得了什么病？”我问。

Through her tears, Kristi repeated the diagnosis, "Michael has my elodysplastic syndrome. It's a pre-leukemia disease. He needs a bone-marrow transplant."
克丽丝蒂呜咽地重复着医生的诊断：“迈克尔得了骨髓发育不良综合症，那是白血病前期……他得接受骨髓移植。”

Two words, leukemia and transplant, combined in a sledgehammer punch to my gut. Without a transplant, Michael's condition would progress to terminal leukemia. He might live weeks, maybe a year.
白血病和移植这两个词连在一块，犹如一把重锤给了我狠狠的一击。迈克尔不进行移植，他的病情就会发展到晚期白血病。他可能活几周，或许一年。

Gripped by fear, my deepest question was amply: Why Michael ? Why not the child abuser, the drug pusher? Why not me? Could I say that my heart was pure, that I was above divine chastening? There were no audible, easy answers-no words of wisdom, no heavenly visions, no angelic visitations. Answers to such questions of the human heart must come by faith-a faith, in our case, shaken to the foundation.
由于恐惧支配，我所能想到的最深奥的问题只不过是：为什么是迈克尔？为什么不是虐待儿童的人？为什么不是毒品贩子？为什么不是我自己？我称得上是心灵纯洁，不会受到神的惩罚吗？没有听见舒心的回答——没有智慧名言，没有上苍显灵，没有天使下凡。对于人类发自心灵这样的问题，其答案必须来自信仰，而就我们的境况而言，那是基础已经动摇的信仰。

Into the Darkness
堕入黑暗

When Kristi and I shared the news with our children, they quietly absorbed the pain. Siblings of cancer patients are often left out of the loop, but we were determined to be aware of their needs, to help them put words to their feelings.
当我和克丽丝蒂将消息告诉孩子们的时候，他们悄悄地把痛苦埋在心里。常常是癌症病人的兄弟姐妹不让了解实情，但我们决意要知道他们的需要，并帮助他们说出他们的感受。

Soon after the diagnosis, everyone in the family had a blood test in the hope that one of us would be eligible bone-marrow donor. The probability of finding a perfect match among siblings was one in four. Outside the family, it could be in 20,000 or worse.
诊断作出不久，家里人都接受了血液测试，希望我们中间有一位能成为合格的骨髓捐献者。在兄弟姐妹中间找到一个完全相配的人，其概率为四比一。在家庭以外的人士中，可能是两万分之一，甚至更少。

On March 20, Kristi called me at work to share some good news, "Amy is a perfect match!"
3月20日我上班时，克丽丝蒂打电话告诉了这个好消息：“艾米完全相配！”

It was our first taste of tangible hope. But how do you explain a bone-marrow transplant to a 6-year-old?
我们第一次尝到了希望落实的甜头，但对一个6岁的儿童来说，你怎么对她解释骨髓移植这个问题呢？

"Amy," I said, "after they takeaway Michael's bad blood cells that make him sick, you can give him some of your good cells to make him better." Amy, a child who gives as naturally as she breathes, cheerfully accepted her special role. As time went by, though, we sensed that Amy was becoming either uncomfortable with the attention or afraid. Yet she was still willing.
“艾米，”我说，“他们取走使迈克尔生病的坏血球之后，你能给他一些好血球让他他好起来的。”艾米将奉献看作呼吸一样自然，高高兴兴地接受了分配给她的特殊角色。然而，随着时间的推移，我们觉察到艾米或是因为注意这事儿而变得坐立不安，或是变得害怕起来了，不过她还是心甘情愿的。

As a result of the donor search, however, a dark cloud cast a shadow over our hope. Our insurance policy, which had paid for Michael's care so far, had a 12-month waiting period on benefits related to organ transplants. Since I had signed up for coverage only five months before, the insurance company wasn't obliged to pay for the transplant.
骨髓捐献者找到了，我们的希望却蒙上了一层阴影。一直为迈克尔支付医疗费用的保险单规定有12个月的等候期，然后才能享受有关器官移植的保险金。由于我是5个月前才申请保险的，保险公司没有义务支付这笔移植费用。

But surely, I thought, such stipulations are meant to scare off people shopping for coverage after they discover they need surgery. How could the insurance company refuse a baby with a sudden onset of leukemia?
不过我想，可以肯定的是，这类规定是为了吓唬那些发现必须进行手术后才购买保险的人的。保险公司怎么会对有关突发白血病的婴儿不予过问呢？

We began the long struggle through the jumble of institutional red tape, realizing that the crushing weight of Michael's medical bills could fall entirely on our shoulders. The bone-marrow transplant, would cost more than '200,000. We would gladly pay that to save any one of our children-but how could we pay it?
我们开始踏上漫长的征途，历经规定的繁杂的公事程序，认识到迈克尔那医疗费的千斤重担可能整个压在我们的肩上。骨髓移植要花费20多万美元。为挽救我们的孩子，我们都会乐于出钱的，问题是我们用什么去支付呢？

On May 12, our son's doctor told us that Michael was in transition to acute leukemia and needed the transplant soon. My little boy was dying, and we were down to our last '500.
5月12日，迈克尔的医生告诉我们，迈克尔正处于急性白血病发展的过渡期，需要尽快进行骨髓移植。我们的宝宝生命垂危，而我们只剩下最后500美元了。

At daybreak the next morning, as I wrote in my journal, my words formed a prayer. The morning stillness moved me with a sense of God's utter compassion, and a deep calming came in a whisper to my soul. Somehow I sensed that my heavenly Father had everything under control.
第二天拂晓我写日记的时候，写成了一篇祈祷文。在黎明的寂静中，我感到神的无比怜悯，在低声耳语中，我的灵魂获得了深深的安慰。不知怎么的，我意识到一切都在天父的掌握之中。

Later that day, I discussed our situation with Kamiakin's principal, Steven Mezich, who had expressed concern about Michael. "Jeff," he said, "with your permission I want to propose a fund-raiser to the faculty at this afternoon's staff meeting, to help your family."
开米亚金初中校长斯蒂夫·梅齐克对迈克尔的病情表示关心。那天晚些时候，我给他谈了我们的境况。“吉夫，”他说，“如果你同意，我想在今天下午教工开会时向他们提出一个开展筹款活动的建议，以便帮助你们一家。”

I was stunned. Steven's thoughtful offer raised my spirits, though I doubted it could do much to boost us over such a huge and urgent financial hurdle.
我大吃一惊，为之感动。斯蒂夫考虑周到的提议振奋了我的精神，虽然我怀疑此举会有多大作用让我们度过这一巨大而又紧迫的财政难关。

After talking with Steven, I spent the afternoon at the welfare office applying for aid. When I came home, Kristi's eyes were glistening. After the faculty meeting, Detra Markey, our vice-principal, had visited to bring toys for the kids-and a check for ' 500. Her little boy suffered from a heart condition, yet she was concerned about our son. His unexpected gift overwhelmed us.
和斯蒂夫交谈之后，那天下午我呆在福利办事处申请援助。回家时，我看到克丽丝蒂眼中闪烁着欢愉的光辉。那天开完教工大会，我们学校的副校长戴特拉·玛基造访了我们家，而且为孩子们带来了玩具，还有一张500美元的支票。她自己的小男孩犯有心脏病，但还是关心我们的儿子。她那意外的礼物真使我们不知如何是好。

I arrived at school the next morning to find my mailbox stuffed with envelopes from the Kamiakin staff-treasures of wishes for Michael's recovery, prayers, loving support, '350 cash, and checks. The day before, we had nothing but a prayer, now we could see the hand of God.
第二天早上，我来到学校，发现我的信箱中塞满了来自开米亚金初中教工的信件——对迈克尔康复的祝愿、祷告和充满爱心的支持，350美元的现金，还有支票。前一天，我们除了祷告以外，一无所有，此刻我们能够看到上帝插手此事了。

The outpouring of love from these friends moved me to tears. But that Friday after school, I witnessed the most amazing act of kindness I could imagine.
朋友们热情洋溢的爱心让我感激涕零。然而，那个星期五放学之后，我目睹了我所能想象得出的最令人惊异的善举。

Dameon Sharkey, a student from my adaptive physical education class, walked into my office with his mom and gave me his life savings of ' 60-all in ' 5 bills. Dameon, a 13-year-old with a few learning difficulties, faced his own mountains of adversity. Yet this young man set aside his struggle to lift the burden from my shoulders.
达明思·沙开是我教的适应性体育班的一名学生，他和他的母亲走进我们办公室，将他票面额全是五元共60美元的全部储蓄都给了我。达明恩这个学习上有一定困难的13岁儿童，自己也面临着成堆的不幸。然而，他却搁下自己的问题来减轻我的负担。

When Dameon left, walking tall and proud, I went immediately to Steve Mezich's office. We agreed that Dameon's gift should be used to establish "The Michael Leeland Fund."
达明恩自豪地离开之后，我立即到斯蒂夫的办公室。我们商定用达明恩的捐款成立迈克尔·利兰德基金会。

Daybreak
曙光初现

On May 18, the Fred Hutchiaon's Cancer Research Center, a pioneer in the field of bone-marrow transplant, informed us that Michael's transplant surgery would be canceled unless they received a promise to pay from our insurance company or a deposit of ' 175,000 cash by the insurance company was denied once again. Medicaid also denied us help because I earned too much from teaching and part-time encyclopedia sales.
5月18日，在骨髓移植方面领先的弗雷德·霍金森癌症研究中心通知我们，除非他们在5月份最后一个星期以前收到175000美元的现金担保，否则迈克尔的骨髓移植手术将被取消。我们向保险公司的呼吁再次遭到拒绝，医疗补助方案同样没有我们的份儿，因为我的教学和业余推销百科全书所得已经远远超过了规定。

With Michael's life dangling by a thread, we realized that only a miracle could save our baby. We were about to witness the incredible power that God and kids can marshal to save a child's life.
迈克尔的生命系于一发。我们意识到只有奇迹才能挽救我们宝宝的生命。我们就要目睹那难以置信的力量，上帝——和小孩子们——聚集力量来挽救一个儿童的生命。

Joe Kennedy, Kamiakin's humanities teacher, challenged the school's students to see what they could do to help Michael. These high-spirited junior-high kids immediately went to work, making plans to stage a walkathon, hold a raffle, set up donation boxes, circulate petitions, and attract news coverage.
开米亚金初中文科教师乔·肯尼迪激励该校学生尽力帮助迈克尔。这些情绪高昂的初中生立即行动，计划发动一次步行马拉松，举办有奖义卖，设立募捐箱，分发呼吁书，吸引新闻报道。

They made personal sacrifices too. The ninth-grade class donated the proceeds from its dance to Michael-money that would have funded an end-of-the-year party. Mary, an eighth-grade student, cashed in ' 300 in savings bonds. Jon, a ninth-grader, knocked on doors in his neighborhood. We were awe-struck by this outpouring of love, inspiration, and energy.
他们除了出力也同样出钱。九年级学生把舞蹈所得捐给迈克尔，那钱原本是为举行年终聚会用的。八年级学生玛丽把储蓄公债兑换成300美元现金。九年级学生乔恩在他的邻近地区挨家挨户敲门。那倾泻而至的爱心、鼓励和力量令人肃然起敬由衷赞叹。

As a result of the students' efforts, stories appeared in The Journal American and NEW YORK TIMES. The next day, a man walked into the bank with a ' 10,000 check for Michael, and a second-grade girl handed over the contents of her piggy bank. Both gifts were immeasurable. Just one week after Dameon' s gift, Michael's fund grew to ' 16,000!
由于同学们的努力，《美国人杂志》和《纽约时报》都作了报道。次日，一名男土带着一张抬头为迈克尔的10000美元的支票走进银行。一名二年级的女生把她猪形储钱罐中的储蓄全都捐了出来。这两笔捐款的价值都是不可估量的。就在达明恩捐款后一个星期的时间里，迈克尔的基金增加到了169000美元！

Within a week, Kristi and I were interviewed by local TV reporter Elisa Jaffe. As she listened to our story and looked at little Michael, tears welled up in her eyes. "I've never cried in an interview! She confessed.
不出一周，当地电视台记者艾丽萨·佳菲采访了我和克丽丝蒂。她一边听着我们的叙述，一边望着小迈克尔，泪水从她的眼中夺眶而出。“我从来没有在采访时流过眼泪！”她承认说。

That night, Elisa's station ran the story on both the 6'30 and 11 p. m. newscasts. The response was unprecedented. Among the many callers to the station was a woman named Jeanne Robb, who reported that she spent 18 hours setting up phone chains for prayer and support all over southwest Washington. In addition to calling the people on her church's prayer chain, this precious lady contacted people in other churches in her town and in 15 other towns.
当晚，艾丽萨的电视台在6：30和11：00的新闻节目中播放了那次采访，反应空前热烈。在给电视台打电话的许多观众中有一个名叫珍妮·罗勃的妇女，她说用了18个小时在华盛顿西南部地区建立了祷告和支援的电话连锁网。这位可爱的女士除了和自己所属教会的祷告连锁网的人士通过电话联系外，还和本镇及其他 15个镇上教会的教友们电话联络。

The next Tuesday morning, when I called the bank, the lady taking care of Michael's mail was flabbergasted. "I don't have the vaguest idea what happened," she said, "but when I came to work this morning, there was literally a two-foot pile of letters here!"

下一个星期二的上午，我给银行打电话。那位照管迈克尔信件的女士大吃了一惊。“发生了什么事情，我一无所知，”她接着说道，“不过今天上午上班时，这里的信件堆成了两英尺高！”

God was doing something extraordinary! Scores of independent, unrelated efforts took place all over Seattle area. One church raised about '3,000. At Providence Hospital in Seattle, a young woman set up a table for donations and raised '1,000. My college fraternity raised '2,000 by sponsoring an all-day battle of the bands. Local hairstylists designated a day to donate ' 5 to the fund for every cut they gave.
上帝在创造奇迹！几十个相互独立，彼此无关的募捐活动在西雅图地区展开。有一座教堂募款约3000美元。在西雅图的昔维登斯医院，一名年轻妇女摆出桌子募款1000美元。我的大学联谊会发起一整天的通俗音乐乐队演出，募捐20000美元。当地美发师规定某一天从每名顾客的付款中捐出5美元给手术基金。

Letters and more letters poured in. Many contained just checks. Some had no return address. One man, though jobless and ' 35,000 in debt, sent ' 10 because "I have my health." Even employees of the insurance company that denied Michael coverage reached out with gifts.
信件纷至沓来，越来越多。许多信中只有支票。有的连回信地址都投有。有位男士没有工作并负债35000美元，还是寄来了 10美元，就因为“我身体健康”。甚至拒绝迈克尔医疗金的保险公司的职员也以赠款相助。

Those people who once seemed to be cold, uncaring city-dwellers when we moved here from a small town now came alive as warm, compassionate neighbors.
当我们从小镇迁到这里的时候，那些当初似乎态度冷淡、漠不关心的城里人如今也活跃起来，成为热情而有同情心的邻居。
　

Dangling By a Thread
系于一发

The month of May ended With the Michael Leeland Fund at ' 62,000. With more than ' 100,000 still needed, the deadline for payment to the Hutchinson Cancer Research Center had to be pushed back to June 11.
5月底，迈克尔·利兰德基金达到62000美元。由于还差 100000多美元，因此向霍金斯癌症研究中心付款的截止限期不得不推迟到6月11日。

The month also ended with Michael's health seriously deteriorating. He needed transfusions-an unmistakable sign of oncoming leukemia. Despite his illness, he was so good, so happy, so content. But how much longer could he wait?
这个月最后几天，迈克尔的健康状况严重恶化。他需要输血。那是白血病即将到来的明确无误的标志。尽管疾病缠身，他还是那么可爱，那么高兴，那么知足，但他还能等待多久呢？

Thank God, the donations continued streaming in. We sent out nearly 4,000 thank-you cards with Michael's handprint and a poem. On June 9, Michael's fund reached ' 185,000, allowing us to make the payment to Hutchinson.
上帝保佑，捐款仍源源不断。我们发出了近四千份感谢卡，上有迈克尔的手印和一首诗。6月9日，迈克尔的基金达186000美元。我们可以向霍金斯中心付款了！

A week later, a scant month after Dameon's gift opened the floodgates, Michael's fund totaled '220,000. Our baby would get a second chance!
一个星期后。也就是达明恩的捐款打开闸门以后才满一个月，迈克尔的基金总计达220000美元。我们的宝宝将获得第二次机会了！

On July 9, Michael's doctor recommended that our son he admitted to Hutchinson right away to undergo 12 days of chemotherapy and radiation. His diseased marrow had to be destroyed before transfusing Army's healthy cells into him.
7月9日，迈克尔的医师建议我们的儿子立即住进霍金斯，接受为期12天的化疗和放疗。他那有病的骨髓必须毁掉，才能给他输入艾米的健康细胞。

Before driving Michael to the hospital, we took time to pray together, cuddle, and let the kids say goodbye to their baby brother. We forced ourselves to remember that we were doing this to help Michael get better. Yet we know he must first get much worse.
我们在开车将迈克尔送到医院之前，花了不少时间一切祷告、拥抱，让孩子们和他们的小弟弟说声再见。我们强使自己记住我们这样做是为了帮助迈克尔好起来，但我们也知道他必须得先吃大苦。

On July 21, the morning of the transplant, Amy finally opened up, "Mommy... do I have to do this? Is there anybody else who can?"
7月21日，进行移植手术的那个上午，艾米终于开口了：“妈咪……这事儿非我不行吗？还有别人行吗？”

"Amy, this is something only you can choose to do," Kristi told her, "You can save Michael's life today." Amy's warm heart triumphed over her cold feet. "Okay," she said bravely.
“艾米，这事儿只有你才能做得到，”克丽丝蒂告诉她说，“今天你就可以挽救迈克尔的生命了。”艾米火热的心肠战胜了她寒冷的双脚。“行，”她勇敢地说。

Under anesthesia, little Amy's lower back was punctured numerous times with a long, thick needle that drew out marrow from her pelvic bones. The seven-hour transplant began soon afterward.
医生对小艾米进行了麻醉，她的背部下方被一根粗长的针穿了许多次，从她的骨盆骨上抽出骨髓，接着就开始了长达7个小时的移植手术。

It would take a few weeks for Amy to rebuild her strength. It would also take a few weeks for Amy's cells to find their way into Michael's bones-if the transplant was a success.
艾米恢复体力需要几个星期。即使手术成功，也得需要几个星期让艾米的细胞长入迈克尔的骨骼中。

Distant Hopes
希望在前
　

On August 19, 1992, we celebrated Michael's first birthday. It was a happy day for all, especially with the hopeful news: After weeks of peaks and valleys, waiting for his white-cell count to reach an acceptable level of 500, his count finally broke the barrier. A week later, Michael was released from the hospital.
1992年8月19日，我们庆祝迈克尔第一个生日。这是让全家人高兴的日子，特别是那满怀希望的消息：经过好几个星期的高低起伏，等待他的白血球计数达到500这个可以接受的水平，这个计数终于突破。一周之后，迈克尔出院了。

For Michael, the future holds distant hopes and nearly certain side effects from the treatments, such as sterility, growth delays, and possibly even secondary tumors. But with the disease now in remission for more than two years, Michael has 95 percent probability of a life cure. After five years in remission, he will be considered cured.
对迈克尔来说，未来的希望是难以捉摸的，而且几乎可以肯定存在不育、发育迟缓、甚至继发性肿瘤之类由于治疗而产生的副作用。不过，疾病在以往两年多时间里未曾复发。迈克尔终生治愈的可能性为95％。疾病未复发达5年，则可认为病已经治好。

Five years is a distant horizon, a long road ahead. But in our eyes, for today at least, he is cured. We are not in denial of impending, dreadful possibilities. Rather, we are constructing the walls of a grateful spirit to keep the phantoms of anxiety at bay, phantoms that would steal the blessing of God's spirit today.
5年如在遥远的天际，前面的路还很漫长。但至少就目前而言，我们认为他已经治愈。我们并不否认有随时发生可怕情况的可能性。相反，我们正在建造一道道给人带来欢愉心情的墙，将忧虑的幽灵拒之门外，那是会把上帝的圣灵赐予的福祉偷走的幽灵。

I ask my son, now almost 4 years old, "Michael, someday do you want to help people too? Maybe you can help kids who are sick?"
我们的儿子如今快四岁了，我问他：“迈克尔，总有一天你也想帮助别人吧？说不定帮助哪位有病的孩子呢？”

In a grown-up voice he says, "Yeah, I can help too."
他用大人的口气答道：“是的，我也能。”

Michael's words are like the last small link completing a full circle. We pray the compassion and selflessness we have experienced from our community will not die out, but rather that the circle will grow larger.
迈克尔的话语仿佛给一条圆链补上了最后一个小环。我们祈祷我们感受到的来自我们社会的同情和无私将不会泯灭；相反，这条链子将会越来越大。

And perhaps Michael will one day like Dameon Sharkey, the boy whose gift became a vital link in a chain of love.
也许有一天迈克尔会像达明恩·沙开那样，将捐赠变成爱心之链中的重要一环。