Stories:
Andrew Hosea Donor Speech
Harbin, China
January 05, 2006
My name is Andrew Hosea. I traveled with my father, Thomas Hosea, and my best friend, Noah Kehinde, to Harbin, China from Memphis, Tennessee in the United States. We wanted to be with each of you today receiving wheelchairs and to celebrate this special occasion with you, your family, relatives, and friends. We came all the way to Harbin, China to honor the memory and spirit of my sister, Mary Beth Hosea, who passed away at the age of 32 years old in October 2003 from cancer. My sister spent the last 10 years of her life in a wheelchair. That wheelchair gave her comfort, freedom, hope, mobility, dignity, and a quality of life that she and individuals here today deserve. Throughout my sister's continuous battle with cancer, she remained very strong, never complained, always had a smile, and was one of the most generous and giving people that I have ever known. She lived her life one day at a time, treasuring each moment. She was very artistic and loved to paint. She would spend days or weeks painting pictures simply to give them away in order to make someone happy or to see them smile. It is in my sister's memory and because of her spirit of generosity that we are here with you today. She would have enjoyed knowing that in her honor wheelchairs were given as gifts to the people of Harbin, China, with us only expecting a smile in exchange. You will notice that on the back of the chairs, they are embroidered with words in English that say "From the Mary Beth Hosea Family" and also with Chinese characters, which mean "Hope, Love, and Friendship". We believe these attributes exemplify what my sister, Mary Beth stood for in her life. Mary Beth never gave up hope, she loved others with all her heart, and she never met a stranger - she made friends with everyone she met. In closing, you may forget us shortly after we leave and return to the United States. But, hopefully, you'll look at the writing on the back of your wheelchairs and be reminded of the story of a young girl just like you in a wheelchair in the United States, who inspired her family and friends to take a journey of a lifetime to Harbin, China to pass along a bit of her spirit of "Hope, Love, and Friendship"! We sincerely hope this gift of a new wheelchair will inspire you all to dream big dreams, to live life as if each day were your last, and to "love, hope and make friends with others" with all of your heart! Thank you!
