On November 17th, BlinkNow’s Maggie Doyne was named CNN’s Hero of the Year. This award was a more than deserved reflection of her work with and love for the people of the Kopila Valley in Nepal. Of her children, the incredible story of baby Ravi and his transformation from extreme malnourishment exemplifies the love and impact of Doyne’s efforts.
The first time I saw the before and after photos of Ravi, I was so incredibly shocked. If each and every person saw the possibility each child possesses and felt the urgency to help children like Ravi, the world could be so much fuller and so different; Ravi’s story shows us we can each make a difference in the world with just one ounce of kindness and care.
With extreme sadness, BlinkNow announced the passing of baby Ravi on December 30th. Only a year and a half old, Ravi was Doyne’s "perfect little being." Through the eyes of Maggie, they were made for each other. The news of Ravi’s death hit the BlinkNow community incredibly hard, with outpourings of support, love, and fundraising to support the grieving community in the Kopila Valley.
Doyne posted a heartbreaking tribute to Ravi on the BlinkNow Facebook page, and with each word, I felt Maggie’s grief. In her post, she confesses "I would have rather lost my legs or my arms or my face. At least then people would know the pain I feel, because they could see it." In the most honorable way, Maggie Doyne is a mother. To Ravi, she was the most perfect, caring mother. With her words, I can feel the pain and ache of a mother’s loss in a way I never thought I would or could.
Throughout my life, I have been incredibly lucky. I do not yet know what it feels like to lose someone in my life like Maggie lost Ravi. That’s what makes Maggie’s post even more moving; I can feel her grief in a way that I have never felt. She places no boundaries or limits on describing the loss she and her family are experiencing; raw and uncensored, it’s her vulnerability which displays even more her love for the children she has adopted in Nepal. Maggie Doyne is a woman filled with nothing but love, and she, baby Ravi, and the entire BlinkNow community will be in my prayers these following weeks.
"Thank you for loving my baby and my children, for crying with me and for sharing in our pain. Thank you for holding my children with me. Please go hold your children and your friends and your parents and the people you love for me. Give all you have to give and love all you can. This is all so temporary" (Maggie Doyne).
