Moving Mountains

I'll let Denise explain the rest: "I started rallying the troops Sunday night so that people could get the word out for Monday morning. We knew someone had to intervene on her behalf for the appeal … so her senator, congressman and governor were bombarded with e-mails, faxes and phone calls. We also sent them to the CEO of [the insurance company], as well as the media."

I followed throughout the day Monday and Tuesday as Denise kept the momentum going with things like impassioned Facebook updates that she posted while sitting in her car, crying, on the side of the road.

"Enough people started asking questions, and last night (the Tuesday the surgery was originally scheduled to take place) at 6 p.m., her appeal was approved. I have chills telling you this," Denise told me. "We moved a mountain. She has the right to try to save her life. How dare they …"

One woman raising money and awareness for her friend isn't the same as a multimillion-dollar national organization doing the same in support of its cause. But there's the key — doing the same. Couldn't your organization's fundraising efforts benefit from the kind of drive and passion that Denise pumped into her efforts on Kim's behalf? In other words, as a fundraiser, shouldn't you have a little Denise in your heart?