BRENT WOODALL FOUNDATION

Strengthen the Good, a site that seeks to promote micro-charities through the collective power of blogs, has selected the Brent Woodall Foundation for Exceptional Children as this month's charity. It works to assist autistic children, and is an inspiring example of bringing something positive out of tragedy:

I read recently, in the somber flurry of September 11 memorial writing, that September 11 was unique because it reversed the typical order of tragedy in war: rather than it being the parents who sent their children off to face an uncertain fate, on 9/11 it was the children who sent off their parents.

One of those children, though not yet born at the time, was Pierce Woodall, daughter of Brent and Tracy Woodall. Tracy was five weeks pregnant on 9.11.01, when she and her unborn child sent Brent, a stock trader, off to work at Bruyette and Woods on the 89th floor of the south tower of the World Trade Center.

Tracy was among the thousands of loved ones who had the bittersweet experience of receiving a phone call from WTC that September morning, as Brent called to let her know all was well in his tower. This was to change, however, when the second plane hit.

Tracy finally reached Brent on the 87th floor of the South Tower, where he had reached a locked door. Brent--6-foot-5, handsome, a college athlete at Berkeley and former minor league pitcher for the Cubs--assured his wife of 31 that everything would be all right.

And like so many people that bright clear day, that call was the last time Tracy heard her husband's voice.

Since that day, much has changed.

On April 22nd 2002, Tracy gave birth to Pierce Ashley Woodall.

She moved back to her home state of Texas to be near family.

And she refused to be ruled by her grief.

Tracy Woodall understood that a sound response to evil is to strengthen that which is good.

Not long before 9/11, Tracy and Brent had started talking about launching a foundation that would provide free care-giving education to families of children with autism. For the less familiar, autism is a neurological disorder that appears during the first three years of life. Estimates are that it occurs in approximately 2 to 6 in 1,000 individuals, and typical characteristics include problems with social relationships and emotional communication.

The Brent Woodall Foundation's site is here. Please visit for more information. They do not yet accept on-line donations, however these can be given through the Pay-pal link on the Strengthen the Good main page.

As well as visiting the site, I encourage other bloggers - especially high-traffic ones - to consider joining in the Strengthen the Good network. It only takes a small effort and each blogger can review each chosen charity before deciding to publicize it.

It may not be as dramatic or exciting as the knee-capping of Dan Rather. But given the growing collective power of the blogosphere, I have no doubt that this can make a real difference.