Zulu 36
12-24-07, 01:14 PM
I am the Assistant Cubmaster for a Pack in the town near where I live. I just got off the phone with one of my Wolf Scouts (a 2d Grader). He was born with a defect in the bones of his lower right leg. Despite many surgeries, braces, pins, screws, walkers, crutches, casts, and more, his leg would never be "normal." It would still break at the slightest cause.
Being an otherwise normal little boy, Brandon does not let a bum leg slow him down - at all. His parents, the adult leaders, and even other Scouts, spent a lot of time trying to keep him reined in a little to avoid damaging his leg further. Rather a futile effort, I might add.
Since he joined the Pack as a 1st Grader, Brandon has been pestering his parents and doctors to amputate his leg. He was tired of the pain, the surgeries, and the inability to keep up with other boys 100% (although he tried like hell).
I have never seen Brandon cry except once when his little sister fell on his leg and broke it during his first Cub Scout camping trip, just before the evening campfire. He was upset, not because of the pain, but that he wouldn't be able to take his place in a skit at the campfire program. His parents let him stay, his skit was placed first on the list, he did his role, and off he went to the hospital.
This year, his mother took him to see Santa just after Thanksgiving. When asked what he wanted for Christmas, Brandon told Santa he wanted his leg amputated and (in his words) a "fake new leg" so he could play all he wanted. Needless to say, the store Santa was a bit taken aback at that one.
His mother spoke with his doctors, who agreed there was nothing else left to try but amputation and a prosthesis.
Brandon got his Christmas wish last Wednesday. He came out of surgery at 1100, woke up in post-op about noon, at 1300 he was pestering to be allowed to go play with the other kids on the floor. Knowing Brandon would try to do it anyway when no one was looking, they strapped him into a wheelchair and took him to go play about 1500.
When I spoke with him today (he's home now), he was over the top with happiness. Other than a bothersome "ghost itch" where his toes used to be, he is on top of the world. He goes for his first prosthesis fitting on January 8th and can't wait.
He intends to be at the first Pack meeting for 2008 on the 7th and promises to sit still at this meeting because, "I'm a little off-balance and I haven't gotten used to it yet." I'm not going to bet the farm on his sitting still.
Brandon is a tough little kid. How many adults would be up and about playing within a few hours of having a leg whacked off? He has more guts than some Marines I've known.
His one concern? "What am I going to do with all of the right shoes I have?" I suggested he keep them to put on his prosthesis so everything matched. "Oh, yeah. I didn't think about that."
BTW: Santa will be bringing more "traditional" gifts for Brandon tonight too.
I just felt the need to share this story about one of all the wonderful kids I have in our Pack.
Being an otherwise normal little boy, Brandon does not let a bum leg slow him down - at all. His parents, the adult leaders, and even other Scouts, spent a lot of time trying to keep him reined in a little to avoid damaging his leg further. Rather a futile effort, I might add.
Since he joined the Pack as a 1st Grader, Brandon has been pestering his parents and doctors to amputate his leg. He was tired of the pain, the surgeries, and the inability to keep up with other boys 100% (although he tried like hell).
I have never seen Brandon cry except once when his little sister fell on his leg and broke it during his first Cub Scout camping trip, just before the evening campfire. He was upset, not because of the pain, but that he wouldn't be able to take his place in a skit at the campfire program. His parents let him stay, his skit was placed first on the list, he did his role, and off he went to the hospital.
This year, his mother took him to see Santa just after Thanksgiving. When asked what he wanted for Christmas, Brandon told Santa he wanted his leg amputated and (in his words) a "fake new leg" so he could play all he wanted. Needless to say, the store Santa was a bit taken aback at that one.
His mother spoke with his doctors, who agreed there was nothing else left to try but amputation and a prosthesis.
Brandon got his Christmas wish last Wednesday. He came out of surgery at 1100, woke up in post-op about noon, at 1300 he was pestering to be allowed to go play with the other kids on the floor. Knowing Brandon would try to do it anyway when no one was looking, they strapped him into a wheelchair and took him to go play about 1500.
When I spoke with him today (he's home now), he was over the top with happiness. Other than a bothersome "ghost itch" where his toes used to be, he is on top of the world. He goes for his first prosthesis fitting on January 8th and can't wait.
He intends to be at the first Pack meeting for 2008 on the 7th and promises to sit still at this meeting because, "I'm a little off-balance and I haven't gotten used to it yet." I'm not going to bet the farm on his sitting still.
Brandon is a tough little kid. How many adults would be up and about playing within a few hours of having a leg whacked off? He has more guts than some Marines I've known.
His one concern? "What am I going to do with all of the right shoes I have?" I suggested he keep them to put on his prosthesis so everything matched. "Oh, yeah. I didn't think about that."
BTW: Santa will be bringing more "traditional" gifts for Brandon tonight too.
I just felt the need to share this story about one of all the wonderful kids I have in our Pack.