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。
