Terrie admits that it is only very recently that she has finally allowed herself to believe that she is not to blame--that there is nothing more she or anyone else could have done for Michael. "I realize now that we did everything possible," says Terrie, who details all the specialists they talked to, all the consultations they had with some of the best pediatric cancer doctors in the country. "There was just no way to save Michael. His job, his mission on this physical earth, was done."
The Magros also had their genes examined, their water tested, their family histories analyzed in an attempt to understand why their two sons contracted cancer within months of one another.
"The problem is, the etiology is unknown," Terrie says, using the medical word for the causes of disease. Then, with a sigh that expresses hard-earned acceptance, she adds, "It just happened. It just came out of the clear blue sky."
That evening, in early June, Terrie, Marc and Paul would go to awards night at Hicksville High School to present two scholarships in Michael's name to graduating seniors--something else the foundation does.
The school selects the winners according to the Magros' criteria: the students must be kids who aren't at the top of their class but who work very, very hard and do as well as they can.
"That's the kind of kid Michael was," says Terrie, "and these are the kids who too often aren't recognized for how hard they work."
Terrie says she hopes the scholarships will make a small difference in how the recipients think about themselves, and give them a bit more confidence as they move on. The same thing might be said about everything the Magros have done for other people since Michael's death.
It's what the Magros and the Michael Magro Foundation are all about: Combatti! Fight to make a small difference that could end up being a big difference in someone's life.
For more information about the Michael Magro Foundation, visit the non-profit's website.
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Ezra Goldstein, a writer living in Brooklyn, edits the Civic News for the Park Slope Civic Council and recently finished a young-adult novel based on the real-life experiences of a survivor of the Holocaust. His play, Swimming With Sturgeon, was produced by New York's Abingdon Theatre Company.
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Ezra Goldstein edits the Civic News for the Park Slope Civic Council and recently finished a young-adult novel based on the real-life experiences of a survivor of the Holocaust. His play, Swimming With Sturgeon, was produced by New York's Abingdon Theatre Company.
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