In July of 2010, Danielle Loftus was in an accident. I found out about it through H.S. friends on Facebook.  Danielle and her cousin were severely injured and hospitalized. Danielle remained in a coma and her family and friends surrounded her, praying for her recovery.  She still needs your prayers and positive energy during this painful and trying time.

Go to her page on to learn more. Danielle is the daughter of a high school and AYSO soccer buddy of mine, Jeff Loftus. Though we haven't been in contact for many years, I remember Jeff as a light-hearted and kind person, accepting, who had a ready smile for everyone and a wicked sense of humor.  I was a fullback and he was a forward. I seem to remember we were both captains at some point. We weren't a great soccer team, but we had a lot of fun. I pray for Jeff to be strong in this trying time.

Just a few years ago my son Ben, had open heart surgery, at , to repair a congental heart defect.  He was a "blue baby" who would have died without the surgery, and the fantastic work from his doctors and nurses. Today he is a happy boy, loved by many, enjoying his first days of Kindergarden. Back then, sites like CaringBridge.org as well as , helped my wife and our family get through that difficult time.

It's amazing when I think of how much we can learn about and from each other, in this day of social media.  But I think the most important application of new technology is in creating ways to better learn from and help each other.