There are times when God needs you to be still; there are other times when he’s calling you to act.

Gaynell Hayward-Caesar knew it was time for the latter once she learned three young ladies she knew were struggling with debilitating illnesses.

She’s organised a special concert to raise money for cancer sufferer Kevina Santucci, kidney failure patient Kelee Darrell and sickle-cell survivor Aquilah Salaam.

Gospel Explosion will feature performances by Olivia Hamilton, the Richard Allen Praise Team and New York-based, award-winning gospel saxophone artist Tony Smith. It kicks off at the Heritage Worship Centre next Saturday at 8pm.

“Because I know these three young ladies and their families, God put it on my heart and it really caused me to go deep inside to determine how we could be of assistance,” Mrs Hayward-Caesar explained.

“I decided to connect with some really good friends to do something, but I didn’t want it to be just a concert.

“That’s how we came up with the idea of hosting a gospel ‘explosion’. Explosion to me has a more active definition. It speaks to action and drive and just motion. I prayed about it and a couple of days later it just came to me that a gospel explosion was the way to go.”

Mrs Hayward-Caesar said she tried to involve God in the organisation process every step of the way. She asked Him to help her come up with a vision, theme and focus for the event.

“What came to mind was the term three-dimensional,” she said. “My next step was considering what those Ds could stand for. I thought about the word ‘divas’, but that wasn’t deep or meaningful enough.

“Then one day while I was driving down the road I thought of the word ‘diversity’. All three of these women come from different backgrounds. One is Muslim and the other two are Christians. Their illnesses and various needs are also diverse.

“The next word that came to me was ‘determined’. They are all determined and want a normal life and to overcome their challenges and rise above [them] so they can contribute to the community and have a productive and meaningful life.”

It wasn’t until recently that she realised how serious each of these women’s situations were.

Miss Darrell had to drop out of school to get dialysis treatments three times a week. The 23-year-old is currently waiting for a kidney, so she can start to live a normal life again.

Miss Salaam has suffered a “great deal” throughout the years due to her sickle cell anaemia. She recently had a bone-marrow transplant to cure the hereditary blood disorder, but still has a difficult recovery ahead of her.

“She was 24 years old and had to have bilateral hip replacement,” Mrs Hayward-Caesar said. “When we think of that you think of older people not something someone her age would need.

“She has lived in the hospital for most of her life so she can’t hold a job and can’t be fulfilled in her purpose and desire, but she’s still very determined.

“Kevina is a young woman who has a young child, but can’t have that normal experience as a mother because of her difficulties with cancer. So her life is on pause. She has [faced] enormous obstacles, where she has been unconscious a number of times and unaware of what’s going on around her, but she is determined to overcome this and has said she won’t allow cancer to take her.

“She wants to be there to watch her child grow up and to contribute to her life.”

Mrs Hayward-Caesar said these women’s positive attitudes are what struck her most about them.

She is hoping the community will rally behind them and their families and offer support.

“My prayer is that Bermuda will step up for Bermudians,” the organiser said. “I know it’s really hard economic times, but imagine how much harder it is when you are faced with a medical bill of $1 million and your parents have had to take out a second mortgage on their home to get you the best care. They have to travel back and forth to the United States and they are so far away from family and friends.”

Gospel Explosion tickets are $35 for general admission, $75 for patrons and $200 for sponsors. They’re available from Caesar’s Pharmacy and 27th Century Boutique or by contacting Linda Paynter on 293-2570 or lindapaynter@hotmail.com.