The Love of a Parent

Daniel Dangond was born in Boston, MA and is the brother of our founder, Christina Dangond. He has a Bachelor degree in Computer Science and Competitive Media Studies from The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Daniel is currently a Senior Innovation Engineer at PTC in Boston,MA.
As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you. (Isaiah 66:13)
I’ve been asked many times by my parents to write a post here about my sister, Christy. Every time, I have refused, wondering, “What could I say about her life that they could not say better?” When I was at school, they were with her. When I was spending time with my friends, they were with her. When I was with her, they, too, were also with her. I worried that anything I could say about her would not be as insightful, not as wise, as anything my parents could write.
At the end of 2022, as we approached the Christmas season, my parents asked me yet again to write a post. This time, however, I realized that there was something I could write about that they would never be able to write about. My parents have written often about Christy’s fight against cancer, her bottomless love, and her invincible faith in God. They’ve written about how she never complained; how faith in God had given her impossible amounts of courage and peace that they had never expected of her. Yet, no one has written about the changes I saw in them.
It is often said that love is sacrifice. That to love someone means to give of yourself to them, and to share not only their joys, but also their sorrows. When my sister, Christina, was diagnosed with cancer, the sacrifices my parents made for her, over and over again, were a sign that the love of God was in them and that they would do anything for my sister. My mom spent countless days at the hospital, patiently taking my sister to chemotherapy year after year. My dad supported her always and wrote posts to bring more prayers to Christy. They always say that they were stunned at how Christy never complained, but I was stunned at how they never complained. Not once did they hesitate to put in their very best to work towards helping Christy recover. Not once did they question God or complain that her cancer was unfair. Much like Christy, my parents were filled with the love of God, and carried with them the courage and peace that only came from Him.
There is nothing like the love of a parent for their child. Much like how God loves us all, his children, in an incredible way, my parents loved my sister with every fiber of their being. Their faith in God helped them to avoid falling into despair and allowed them to do everything possible to show their love for Christy. While Christy was still alive and going to treatment, my mom would often come to me, looking a bit concerned, and ask if she was being a bad mother. She worried that by missing my sports games and other events while going to Christy’s chemos, she was making me feel ignored. I always reassured her, telling her that I understood Christy needed her attention more than me, but I think she always worried that she wasn’t showing us enough love during that time. What she didn’t realize, is that through the sacrifice she was making for Christy, she was showing the love she had for all three of us: Christy, David, and me. I knew that if anything ever happened to me, she would be there in an instant, sacrificing anything and everything to see me well again. Knowing that my parents loved us that much, knowing that God loved us that much, helped me keep my peace and calm during those difficult years. My sister never complained because she knew she was loved. My brother and I never complained because we knew we were loved. Most impressively of all, my parents, who sacrificed so much, never complained because they knew that they were loved. That is the power of the love a parent has for their children, and that is the power of the love of God.