Believing in Pop Tabs by Justina Roth

I believe in achieving the goal of collecting one million small, aluminum pop tabs for the Ronald McDonald House. Many say that my goal is far-fetched and will never be accomplished. However, I know when I set my mind to achieving a goal I will come out on top. I inform everyone that I will try my hardest not to submit to the temptation of quitting. I believe this one million goal will be reached through determination and the will to see things through to the end.

Many individuals ask me why I even began collecting pop tabs and the answer is it's all for the kids. The true reason for collecting is for a little boy named Trevor. Six years ago my life changed from being an average child who liked to play sports to an adult who never left the house. I became very ill in the middle of March of my sixth grade year and was in and out of the hospital until the middle of May. Throughout those two months I lost hope for everything in life and had less faith than a mustard seed. At my last hospital stay in Omaha, I met a little boy named Trevor who was three or four years old. He frequented the hospital for several months due to liver problems, and he would later have to have surgery on his liver. He had no father and his mother had two other small children to care for, though she stopped by the hospital each day to check on Trevor. This family of four was not from the Omaha area and had no relatives living in the vicinity. She could not stay at the hospital each night due to the fact that she had two other children at home. However, one place opened their doors to Trevor's mom and his two siblings: the Ronald McDonald House.

During my week stay in Omaha, my family and I became very close to Trevor and his family. Throughout this time we realized what an impact the Ronald McDonald House can make on people. Once I became better the doctors released me from the hospital though I knew deep down a little boy would probably never have the chance to leave the hospital healthy. After leaving the hospital, Trevor's story never left my mind and I knew I needed to make a difference.

The difference I needed to make for Trevor and all those young kids suffering was not made until my life changed again. From the time I left the Omaha hospital in 2002 to April 18, 2006, I was living in a life of pain and madness. For four years I lived with more pain than a person should feel and I told absolutely no one. I felt that I could handle my own problems, and I did not want people to realize that I was hurting. My body slowly began to shut down, and I knew that I could no longer live a secret life. I needed to ask for help. I underwent many tests; however, all tests reported normal results. Finally, one doctor went against the odds and told me that he was going to remove my gallbladder. After the surgery I became a whole new person with a different outlook on life.

Through my pain I never forgot Trevor and the difference I needed to make. Then an idea came across my mind and that was to save pop tabs for the Ronald McDonald House. The money raised from the pop tabs goes straight to families who are suffering with children that are terribly sick. Many people give negative comments about collecting, but they do not know my deep down reason for collecting. I feel that my time in Omaha with Trevor has made me realize to be grateful for everything that I have and to give back to those who are suffering. I believe that with the help of collecting from my family, friends, school, and community I will be able achieve the one million pop tab goal for Trevor.