'Big Give' is no small wonder for family

The way Mike Machinski sees it, hope keeps him alive. A reality TV show has helped, too.

[a reader]

How wonderful! Sounds like this family has been through so much and has not only stuck together but have kept their hope. I hope that Mike fully recovers, he seems like a shining star of a person.
Good luck Machinski family!!

[Cant Wait for Nov]

My heart goes out to this family. I have Non Hodgkins Lymphoma. After 8 chemo treatments I have been given great news that my Lymphoma is in remission. It is great to know that this family can focus on his health and not have to spend energy on paying bills, and channel that energy to becomming cancer free. Best of luck

[helen]

Its great to see people in OUR country being helped in this way. There are so many people with sick family members who struggle every day with illness and trying to make ends meet. It angers me when I see AMERICAN Idol "Gives back" helping other countries when we have so many people who could use that help.
Wishing the Machinskis many years of happiness and health.

[aunttessie]

Amen! It is so great to read stories like this. There are so many families struggling with situations just like this and it is wonderful to see someone get a blessing like this.
Oprah has inspired and helped so many people, she has given back, God Bless Her. Good Luck Machinski Family and God Bless You!

[It gets to me]

helen wrote:

It angers me when I see AMERICAN Idol "Gives back" helping other countries when we have so many people who could use that help.

I totally agree with you, I was just talking to my husband about this and it just gets under my skin. I know it's great to help others who need it but stop taking our hard earned money and giving to other countries. I could just go on all day about how this gets to be but I will just leave it at that. Good Luck to him and his family!

[Lehigh Valley]

Awfully narrow minded of you.

helen wrote:

Its great to see people in OUR country being helped in this way. There are so many people with sick family members who struggle every day with illness and trying to make ends meet. It angers me when I see AMERICAN Idol "Gives back" helping other countries when we have so many people who could use that help.
Wishing the Machinskis many years of happiness and health.

[Change the World]

I believe the show has made an impact on people to give more but Mike what's really important is your spiritual condition. I hope you seek the Lord while you still can. This is a plea that will affect your eternity. I'm very glad you can concentrate on your health and that your family doesn't have to worry about losing the house and the kids' education is taken care of. They'll want to see you in heaven someday. God Bless

[mcm]

I love hearing about good news stories. Best Wishes to this family!

[reality]

Why is it that with these reality shows that you have to be dying or have some sob story in order to get a house built or to be just given something? Why can't they just take an average blue collar family, who doesn't have some sad story, & do something for them, just out of kindness? I've endured many sad instances in my life, I've dealt with lillness, financial hardship, etc etc-where was Oprah then? Where was Extreme Makeover? I guess I didn't have a dead parent or spouse, I guess because I wasn't dying of a terminal illness my family didn't qualify. Because our annual income is "too much" we don't qualify for a home built by Habitat for Humanity like the low income ghetto families, yet at one time we didn't make enough to buy a home though were told we made too much to qualify for help. Remember, in order to be given something & have people like Oprah & Extreme Makeover feel bad for you you have to A) Have a spouse die of a terminal illness AND have more than one child. B) Have many children and lose your last home to a devastating catastrophe, home damage due to flooding is popular now in the wake of Katrina. C) All children have to be under the age of 18 in order to get the "aww that's so sad" factor going on. D) Your yearly salary must fall below the national norm, this must be combined with A,B, & C. Being unemployed and/or laid off is an honorable mention and a substitute for low salary. E) Having sextuplets, immediate guarantee of asistance from everyone and their brother, even though you willingly saw an infertility doc, took the meds, & knew the risks & financial risks of having multiples. F) Have a child with an illness, guarantee of sympathetic tears from Oprah and viewing audience and getting a new 4,000 sq. ft. home.
If you are a blue collar family trying to make ends meet, have less than 3 children, are not ill, your children are not ill, are working 2 or 3 jobs to put food on the table, your spouse is alive & healthy, and/or you are out of work because your job was outsourced and sent overseas, you are immediately disqualified.

[diochick]

I'm with you on that one "reality". Its so depressing how the government tells me that I don't qualify for WIC and yet I barely have money to put gas in my car each week to get to work, or how I don't qualify for cash assistance because me and my husband both happen to work. I can go without, but when it starts affecting my 1 yr old that's when I get mad. She doesn't deserve to be turned away from government assistance because her parents are responsible. Where's Oprah with her billions of dollars now that a red blooded american, blue collar worker needs help? Ah, that's right, building schools in Africa.

[Fix It]

reality wrote:

Why is it that with these reality shows that you have to be dying or have some sob story in order to get a house built or to be just given something? Why can't they just take an average blue collar family, who doesn't have some sad story, & do something for them, just out of kindness? I've endured many sad instances in my life, I've dealt with lillness, financial hardship, etc etc-where was Oprah then? Where was Extreme Makeover? I guess I didn't have a dead parent or spouse, I guess because I wasn't dying of a terminal illness my family didn't qualify. Because our annual income is "too much" we don't qualify for a home built by Habitat for Humanity like the low income ghetto families, yet at one time we didn't make enough to buy a home though were told we made too much to qualify for help. Remember, in order to be given something & have people like Oprah & Extreme Makeover feel bad for you you have to A) Have a spouse die of a terminal illness AND have more than one child. B) Have many children and lose your last home to a devastating catastrophe, home damage due to flooding is popular now in the wake of Katrina. C) All children have to be under the age of 18 in order to get the "aww that's so sad" factor going on. D) Your yearly salary must fall below the national norm, this must be combined with A,B, & C. Being unemployed and/or laid off is an honorable mention and a substitute for low salary. E) Having sextuplets, immediate guarantee of asistance from everyone and their brother, even though you willingly saw an infertility doc, took the meds, & knew the risks & financial risks of having multiples. F) Have a child with an illness, guarantee of sympathetic tears from Oprah and viewing audience and getting a new 4,000 sq. ft. home.
If you are a blue collar family trying to make ends meet, have less than 3 children, are not ill, your children are not ill, are working 2 or 3 jobs to put food on the table, your spouse is alive & healthy, and/or you are out of work because your job was outsourced and sent overseas, you are immediately disqualified.

Ugh, living with yourself must be pretty dreary. Sounds like a whiny three year old...."WHY CAN'T I HAVE SOME!!!???"

Why? Because just like most everyone else, you are nothing outstanding.

[Over the Mountain]

reality wrote:

Why is it that with these reality shows that you have to be dying or have some sob story in order to get a house built or to be just given something? Why can't they just take an average blue collar family, who doesn't have some sad story, & do something for them, just out of kindness? I've endured many sad instances in my life, I've dealt with lillness, financial hardship, etc etc-where was Oprah then? Where was Extreme Makeover? I guess I didn't have a dead parent or spouse, I guess because I wasn't dying of a terminal illness my family didn't qualify. Because our annual income is "too much" we don't qualify for a home built by Habitat for Humanity like the low income ghetto families, yet at one time we didn't make enough to buy a home though were told we made too much to qualify for help. Remember, in order to be given something & have people like Oprah & Extreme Makeover feel bad for you you have to A) Have a spouse die of a terminal illness AND have more than one child. B) Have many children and lose your last home to a devastating catastrophe, home damage due to flooding is popular now in the wake of Katrina. C) All children have to be under the age of 18 in order to get the "aww that's so sad" factor going on. D) Your yearly salary must fall below the national norm, this must be combined with A,B, & C. Being unemployed and/or laid off is an honorable mention and a substitute for low salary. E) Having sextuplets, immediate guarantee of asistance from everyone and their brother, even though you willingly saw an infertility doc, took the meds, & knew the risks & financial risks of having multiples. F) Have a child with an illness, guarantee of sympathetic tears from Oprah and viewing audience and getting a new 4,000 sq. ft. home.
If you are a blue collar family trying to make ends meet, have less than 3 children, are not ill, your children are not ill, are working 2 or 3 jobs to put food on the table, your spouse is alive & healthy, and/or you are out of work because your job was outsourced and sent overseas, you are immediately disqualified.

Count your blessings, and be thankful for all that you do have.

[thankful]

reality wrote:

Why is it that with these reality shows that you have to be dying or have some sob story in order to get a house built or to be just given something? Why can't they just take an average blue collar family, who doesn't have some sad story, & do something for them, just out of kindness? I've endured many sad instances in my life, I've dealt with lillness, financial hardship, etc etc-where was Oprah then? Where was Extreme Makeover? I guess I didn't have a dead parent or spouse, I guess because I wasn't dying of a terminal illness my family didn't qualify. Because our annual income is "too much" we don't qualify for a home built by Habitat for Humanity like the low income ghetto families, yet at one time we didn't make enough to buy a home though were told we made too much to qualify for help. Remember, in order to be given something & have people like Oprah & Extreme Makeover feel bad for you you have to A) Have a spouse die of a terminal illness AND have more than one child. B) Have many children and lose your last home to a devastating catastrophe, home damage due to flooding is popular now in the wake of Katrina. C) All children have to be under the age of 18 in order to get the "aww that's so sad" factor going on. D) Your yearly salary must fall below the national norm, this must be combined with A,B, & C. Being unemployed and/or laid off is an honorable mention and a substitute for low salary. E) Having sextuplets, immediate guarantee of asistance from everyone and their brother, even though you willingly saw an infertility doc, took the meds, & knew the risks & financial risks of having multiples. F) Have a child with an illness, guarantee of sympathetic tears from Oprah and viewing audience and getting a new 4,000 sq. ft. home.
If you are a blue collar family trying to make ends meet, have less than 3 children, are not ill, your children are not ill, are working 2 or 3 jobs to put food on the table, your spouse is alive & healthy, and/or you are out of work because your job was outsourced and sent overseas, you are immediately disqualified.

Instead of complaining, marsha brady..may I ask "why not try to better yourself"??
And to answer why people like you are not helped..gee, who would I want to help? A family or single person who has REAL tragedy & needs or a person who falls short each month on bills? Hon, it's called life- suck it up!

[Reality]

Fix It wrote:

<quoted text>
Ugh, living with yourself must be pretty dreary. Sounds like a whiny three year old...."WHY CAN'T I HAVE SOME!!!???"
Why? Because just like most everyone else, you are nothing outstanding.

I DON'T want some. I don't want her or anyone else to build me a house or give me anything. I bought a house, I was able to afford one. I'm talking about all the other people who struggle paycheck to paycheck, go through terrible hardships, etc. Where is Oprah for them? Oh that's right, they don't fit into the sympathy factor, if you're a hardworking individual struggling to put food on your table for your kids & keep a roof over your head then these bleeding heart reality shows don't give a crap about you. Face it, reality is if you're not dying from something & you're struggling they don't give two shitz about you.

[Reality]

Over the Mountain wrote:

<quoted text>Count your blessings, and be thankful for all that you do have.

Everyday. Like I always say, if you're not sick & dying & your only complaint is bills or your car won't start, then you're doing pretty good. However, my original statement still stands. It's the truth, it's harsh reality, people don't like to hear the truth. It sounds too harsh, sounds too cold hearted......well it is, it's not my truth it's theirs, I don't make the rules of who gets a home built for them, these shows do, & the facts are that if you have a serious hardship such as the ones I listed, you WILL be eligible for sympathetic television shows that give you the world. But if you're an average hard working person, forget it. Whatever happened to doing something for someone for the hell of it? Why don't they have a show where they build someone a house JUST BECAUSE? Why? Because you have to have something bad happen to you first. Totally asinine. If I had the money I would do this, I'd have a company like Habitat that builds home for people for no reason. One shouldn't have to go through cancer or the death of a child or spouse in order to have something done for them. It should be done out of the kindness of one's heart, not out of bleeding heart sympathy omitting everyone else.

[Lehigh Valley]

Quit your whining. You are NOT more deserving than someone with a terminal illness or children who are at risk of starving to death, whether in the U.S. or abroad. All of them are part of the human race. With your logic, people in Chicago can say that Oprah has no business sharing her money with anyone outside of Chicago. You're healthy and probably able to afford the computer you are using and the time to use it, so you have the ability to improve yourself.

reality wrote:

Why is it that with these reality shows that you have to be dying or have some sob story in order to get a house built or to be just given something? Why can't they just take an average blue collar family, who doesn't have some sad story, & do something for them, just out of kindness? I've endured many sad instances in my life, I've dealt with lillness, financial hardship, etc etc-where was Oprah then? Where was Extreme Makeover? I guess I didn't have a dead parent or spouse, I guess because I wasn't dying of a terminal illness my family didn't qualify. Because our annual income is "too much" we don't qualify for a home built by Habitat for Humanity like the low income ghetto families, yet at one time we didn't make enough to buy a home though were told we made too much to qualify for help. Remember, in order to be given something & have people like Oprah & Extreme Makeover feel bad for you you have to A) Have a spouse die of a terminal illness AND have more than one child. B) Have many children and lose your last home to a devastating catastrophe, home damage due to flooding is popular now in the wake of Katrina. C) All children have to be under the age of 18 in order to get the "aww that's so sad" factor going on. D) Your yearly salary must fall below the national norm, this must be combined with A,B, & C. Being unemployed and/or laid off is an honorable mention and a substitute for low salary. E) Having sextuplets, immediate guarantee of asistance from everyone and their brother, even though you willingly saw an infertility doc, took the meds, & knew the risks & financial risks of having multiples. F) Have a child with an illness, guarantee of sympathetic tears from Oprah and viewing audience and getting a new 4,000 sq. ft. home.
If you are a blue collar family trying to make ends meet, have less than 3 children, are not ill, your children are not ill, are working 2 or 3 jobs to put food on the table, your spouse is alive & healthy, and/or you are out of work because your job was outsourced and sent overseas, you are immediately disqualified.

[Shame on you]

To all you nay-sayers that the Machinski Family doesn't deserve the help that was afforded to them through the Big Give, please go to the link provided and READ THE JOURNAL HISTORY FROM START TO FINISH. And if you STILL do not think this family deserved help, then shame on you.

http://www.caringbridge.org/pa/machinski/

[Reality]

Lehigh Valley wrote:

Quit your whining. You are NOT more deserving
<quoted text>

I never said I was or that I want what was given to these people. When you can find exactly where I stated this let me know, I have a good 50 yrs more left to my life so I have time to wait. Try reading an entire post first before yapping.

[Reality]

Shame on you wrote:

To all you nay-sayers that the Machinski Family doesn't deserve the help that was afforded to them through the Big Give, please go to the link provided and READ THE JOURNAL HISTORY FROM START TO FINISH. And if you STILL do not think this family deserved help, then shame on you.
http://www.caringbridge.org/pa/machinski/

Shame on human beings for not doing it for others just for the sake of kindness to one's fellow man. Shame on those who hold a prejudice against those who do not have a tragedy to claim. Shame on those who only allow specific individuals into this inner circle of worthiness. We are ALL worthy of this treatment, we are all special regardless of whether we are sick or not, whether we have had a tragedy or not. Those who have fallen on hard times absolutely DO deserve this, BUT those who have not fallen on hard times deserve it just as well, we are all special we are all the same. To seperate is a prejudice against man himself, of all colors. Many of you do not read quite well. I am not saying this guy or others like him do not deserve this, he DOES. I'm saying that they need not set these instances aside for exclusive special situations, they should be doing it for families whether they've had sad story or not. My grandmother had 16 kids, there was no one around to go & give her & the family handouts, no one to build them a house or feel sorry for them. They dealt with it & lived life. Leave it to reality shows. The kids of these families are going to grow up thinking if they get sick someone is going to give them the world. What some of these show fail to mention, under all the gloss, is that when some families are given these big homes they then cannot afford to pay the tax. Already one family who had Extreme Makover do their home, brought a lawsuit against the show. They made their house twice as big, another family with a hardship, because the house was bigger, taxes went sky high, they couldn't afford the taxes & had to move out thus making them now with ZERO house. This is the crap they don't tell you. Reality shows are for the mindless anyway. If you can drool you can get into reality tv.

[Very sad]

You know what, and I am gonna catch alot of hell for this, but I dont care. Many people feel the same way I do. Mostly people who know the history of this whole thing. In the story and in the articles, you never hear about their community that has given thousands of dollars to the family and had basket bingos for them and even bought the girls Christmas presents so they didnt have to spend what money they had. And what did they do with that money, bought 4 wheelers, finished their basement off including an oak bar, bought another dog. And plug their store whenever they get a chance. Does that sound like the actions of some one that was so worried about their mortgage and the college funds for the girls. He never had a new vehicle, but what about her? She has had 2. One of which she has right now. A 2008 nissan pathfinder. There are plenty of other people out there that TRULY need the help. And as for the store, I wont shop there. I feel sorry that he has this terrible disease, but going out and practically begging people so they can have things that most other people only wish they had is horrible. Using a tragic illness to get people to give hard earned money under the guise of needing it to help with treatments and bills, and then taking it and using it to buy frivilous things is just wrong. I will give my money where it is really needed. Like I said, I will take a lot of greif for this, but those who live in and around this community who know the real truth, will understand what I am saying. We all talk about it. This is truly a sad story, but not for the right reasons.