Sorry -- weeping at work -- I can barely see to type. This gal is SUCH a good tech (at my 'regular' vet's office).
She has a son (he's about 6 I think) who has neuro-fibroma (he has fibroid tumors on the optic nerve) -- I know it's auto-immune in nature and he's taken chemo for it for a long time. He's going blind, which is only part of the problem here, and somehow it's inoperable. I just got a call from my vet b/c he knows we go to Give Kids the World every month. He's trying to arrange, on his own, a little mini-vacation for this tech & her family (husband is laid off -- the tech is the only one who works) and he asked me to see if I could find someone at GKTW that might expedite finding some theme park tickets or something.
My first burden is just plain for prayer for them. This woman is SUCH a strong woman -- her kids are all THE NICEST kids (and they range in age from this young one all the way up to one who is soon to enter college with vet school in mind) - I think there are 4 kids. But I know this diagnosis is far more serious than it sounds somehow. I have to wonder if there is pressure in the brain or something -- I don't know and I can't approach her about it right now.
I'm hoping we can simply organize this -- it's a testament to my vet that he's trying to fund this single-handedly. I've already spoken to David and, yes, we'll contribute and David's already forwarded the whole thing to HIS HR people (who work closely with GKTW).
This little boy LOVES animals beyond anything -- and I'm hoping I can work Luna, Tink and Billy into this somehow.
I normally keep it together REALLY EASY with GKTW because to be perfectly blunt, we never see "the rest of the story". WE go, the kids pet the dogs and we see them in this "moment out of time". We see these kids who are often terminally ill when they are HAPPY. That one morning that they are "on vacation" and raring to go as much as possible. We see them excited about going to see "The Princesses" or "Pirates" or "Shamu" or "UNVERSAL and Shrek!!!!!!"
David and I often say to each other on the way home how glad we are that we see & help with the "best" -- we don't know if or when these kids lose their battle. We know it happens -- we KNOW our dogs know more than we ever do ... and I know for a fact how incredibly personally the dogs take these visits because they can smell the medicine and the cancer and the scent of terminal illness. But David and I don't. I'm a wuss -- I'm glad of that.
But with this one? I KNOW this kid. I KNOW his mom (and she's a good friend). I KNOW the pain and the worry ...
The little boy's name it Ritchie, and when you lift up his Mom just say Billy's favorite tech to draw blood. He will literally just sit there for this woman, tip his head up and to the left so she can do a jug stick without even having to hold him! When the Alpha of all Alphas SEES that He smiles. I know it.
All my dogs LOVE Ritchie.
I don't have the candles link bookmarked at work -- but I'll post it tonight. Thanks folks!