Dr. Borchers always says that when she gets to Heaven, she has a list of questions to ask God, and at the top of her list is why Nathan had to die. A four-year-old boy who was so loved by his family, it does not make sense why God needed such a young angel in Heaven.

Our Crossroad Pediatrics West office first met Nathan and his grandmother, Ellie, shortly after opening in December 2009. However, Ellie and her family were no strangers to our Dr. Borchers. She had taken care of Ellie's twin daughters from birth and was now caring for little Nathan, a precocious four-year-old boy with boundless energy and a mischievous grin. Nathan's short life tragically ended in April 2010, devastating his family. Ellie sought the consolation of our West office staff who were also mourning the loss of little Nathan. In months that followed Nathan's death, Ellie frequently stopped by the office and together our staff shared memories, shed tears and prayed with her as we tried to make sense of this tragedy.

It quickly became clear that Ellie, who had always been the one to care for so many, needed to start taking care of herself. Ellie shared that she has diabetes but did not have a doctor. We scheduled her with Dr. O'Dea at our Over-the-Rhine office and Kathleen, our diabetic educator. With medical care and education, Ellie has gone from taking five shots of insulin daily to one shot a day. With prayer and support, Ellie has begun to see our counselor and new psychiatrist to help cope with the death of her beloved Nathan. Ellie is very open to share that she cannot read and with encouragement from our staff, at the age of 52, she has begun to attend literacy classes.

"Before meeting the staff at Crossroad, I never took time for myself. They really care about me and want me to get better. You don't find too many doctors who talk to you and listen to you; who spend time with you when you are upset."

We may never be able to answer the question of why Nathan had to die, but maybe he was put in Heaven to help his "Ma-Maw" begin to take care of herself by placing the right people in her life to help her do so .

It is truly a blessing to be able to work with Ellie and see the success that she has made for herself. For almost 20 years, the staff at Crossroad has been building long-lasting relationships with our patients like Ellie, that span years and break down barriers. With a bond of trust in place, Crossroad is transforming lives by uncovering critical needs that go beyond the physical. However, providing care to the thousands of patients who are uninsured or under-insured comes with a cost. This year we must raise approximately $350,000 to provide care to patients such as Ellie to continue to meet the growing need. So far, we are short of that goal.

Please help us transform lives with the gift of a donation and prayer.

May God's blessings be with you this holiday season. Thank you for your prayers and financial support.