Bird. This is probably the worst word I could have pulled out of the gold mug. I did not need to be reminded of you today. I'll never forget the first time our eyes met across the room of music class.
Everyone always called you Bird. I still don't know why for sure. Maybe it was because when you first moved here, we noticed that you always stayed in Mr. J's class after school to talk to him about the stuffed ones hanging from the ceiling. Or maybe it's because you always said you wanted to fly whenever they would ask us, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" I guess I'll never know for sure. But, for whatever reason, you were Bird and probably still are, wherever you are.
I remember you telling me all about your flight from California to Pennsylvania, or your love of the bright blue sky, as we walked to my house, hand in hand, everyday after school. How amazing it was for you to fly. But after we both lost the mind game that Ashley had played with us, we never spoke again. I lost everything and apparently, you gained it. You had the looks, the friends, but then you started to fly on those little blue pills. I guess, at the time, that was better than your dream of actually flying. But me, I lost all of my friends including you, the one who mattered the most. You didn't come down to save me like I had always hoped you would. You just stayed up there, flying, while I was left sad and alone.
I know we were young but I loved you. And I know you loved me too until you let her lies consume you and ruin us. I'm still shocked at how blind you were when I pleaded with you not to leave me like everyone else had. You would have been better. Probably a pilot or just about. But you chose a different way to fly. I tried to help you. Maybe I should have tried harder and I'm sorry for that. I hope you're better now Bird. I hope that addiction has left you alone so that you can live up to the potential I always knew you had.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
Aidan
When I volunteered to read my letter that I wrote to my friend's son Aidan in class, I didn't think that I would cry. But alas, I could barely read it aloud. Aidan's story is a sad one, but I thought I would be fine because Aidan is still here and I can see him whenever I want to. The letter does not give much detail on Aidan's condition, as I only referred to it a couple times and since he is only 11, he is still unaware of what is most likely going to happen to him in 10-15 years.
Aidan is an 11 year old with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, or DMD. DMD is a rare disorder that only affects boys. The muscles in Aidan's body do not produce dystrophin, which is a protein that is essential for muscle growth. Since his body does not produce dystrophin at all, Aidan's muscles cannot become stronger. Boys with this condition lose the ability to walk by age 12. Eventually, boys with DMD lose the ability to move any parts of their body and usually pass away in their late teens or early twenties. Heart failure is usually the cause of death.
When I met Aidan in early 2008, he was getting around fairly well. Over the past three years I've watched his body begin to fail him pretty rapidly. He can no longer get up off of the floor without help. He uses his motorized scooter or a rented power chair to get around at school because he tires easily. He has a service dog named Song who opens doors for him and turns lights on or off. If he drops something, she'll pick it up and give it to him. Song also accompanies Aidan to Fleetwood Middle School where he is in 6th grade. Last year, the school raised over $7,000 to get Aidan a hot tub for his home. The hot tub helps his muscles relax and he is able to move more freely in the water. Since getting the hot tub, Aidan's father Tom told me that when he stretches Aidan at night, his legs are less tight and the stretching is going much better.
As I mentioned in my letter, Aidan is like a little brother to me who I love very much. He's smart, sweet, funny, and simply adorable. He always makes me laugh and I hope to be able to spend many more years with him.
To learn more about DMD, you can visit parentprojectmd.org or dariusgoeswest.org
Currently, Aidan's parents, Tom Sandor and Maria McDonnell, are fundraising to find a cure for DMD to save their son's life. They are running the Disney Marathon in January 2012 with Run for Our Sons, something that they do every year.
Here is a YouTube video that Maria made to help spread the word about Aidan's condition and their fundraising efforts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O77miTzrLm8
Aidan is an 11 year old with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, or DMD. DMD is a rare disorder that only affects boys. The muscles in Aidan's body do not produce dystrophin, which is a protein that is essential for muscle growth. Since his body does not produce dystrophin at all, Aidan's muscles cannot become stronger. Boys with this condition lose the ability to walk by age 12. Eventually, boys with DMD lose the ability to move any parts of their body and usually pass away in their late teens or early twenties. Heart failure is usually the cause of death.
When I met Aidan in early 2008, he was getting around fairly well. Over the past three years I've watched his body begin to fail him pretty rapidly. He can no longer get up off of the floor without help. He uses his motorized scooter or a rented power chair to get around at school because he tires easily. He has a service dog named Song who opens doors for him and turns lights on or off. If he drops something, she'll pick it up and give it to him. Song also accompanies Aidan to Fleetwood Middle School where he is in 6th grade. Last year, the school raised over $7,000 to get Aidan a hot tub for his home. The hot tub helps his muscles relax and he is able to move more freely in the water. Since getting the hot tub, Aidan's father Tom told me that when he stretches Aidan at night, his legs are less tight and the stretching is going much better.
As I mentioned in my letter, Aidan is like a little brother to me who I love very much. He's smart, sweet, funny, and simply adorable. He always makes me laugh and I hope to be able to spend many more years with him.
To learn more about DMD, you can visit parentprojectmd.org or dariusgoeswest.org
Currently, Aidan's parents, Tom Sandor and Maria McDonnell, are fundraising to find a cure for DMD to save their son's life. They are running the Disney Marathon in January 2012 with Run for Our Sons, something that they do every year.
Here is a YouTube video that Maria made to help spread the word about Aidan's condition and their fundraising efforts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O77miTzrLm8
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