From Dogs to Kids

In an earlier post, I commented about my soft spot for animals. In fact my parents can attest to this as when I was first learning how to drive, I almost drove into my neighbors front lawn because I didn't want to run over a bunny that ran across the road in front of me. My dad's comment - "hit the bunny - it's better than getting in an accident!" I think I'd still take my chances and do what I could to avoid hitting an animal although these days I'm a much better and more experienced driver.

Anyway, so I stopped reading the Anti-Cruelty magazine that they send me every so often for being a donor. Turns out I couldn't get through one without getting upset. Now I've found that I feel the same way about little kids. Take little Ethan Powell (pictured- that's not Austen) - a little six-month old baby who was diagnosed with Leukemia when he went in for his two-month check up. He has a 15 percent chance to live and is undergoing chemo treatments currently that are designed for 1-21 year olds. But this little guy keeps fighting. The next two weeks are critical to his survival. I look at the pictures on his Web site and think of my own son just one month younger than little Ethan and how heartbreaking it would be as a parent to see your child in pain and faced with the possibility of not growing up. Thousands out there are praying for Ethan and I hope you will too -- I hope that he is one of the lucky ones.