2ND-GRADERS BOOST MAN'S WILL TO LIVE.Byline: Dennis McCarthy Dennis McCarthy may refer to:
Bruce Partridge partridge, common name applied to various henlike birds of several families. The true partridges of the Old World are members of the pheasant family (Phasianidae); the common European or Hungarian species has been successfully introduced in parts of North America. had been looking forward to this day for months - the day he'd finally get to meet all these kids who had adopted him over at Our Lady of the Valley Elementary School Valley Elementary School is an elementary school located in Beavercreek, Ohio and is part of the Beavercreek City School District. The principal is Lisa Walk. External links
Nothing was going to stop him from getting out of bed and driving over to the school with his wife, Barbara. Nothing. Certainly not the pain he was feeling from recent surgery. ``Maybe we should wait and go another day, honey,'' Barbara had said, looking into her husband's eyes and seeing the pain. ``No. They're waiting for me, and we'll go,'' Bruce told her, taking her arm for support to walk over to his closet. He was getting weaker every day, and Barbara prayed that the doctors are right - that her husband will receive a combination liver and kidney transplant kidney transplant or renal transplant Replacement of a diseased or damaged kidney with one from a living relative or a legally dead donor. The former's tissue type is more likely to match, reducing the chance of rejection; but removal puts the donor at risk, from a donor in only about four more months. If it is much later than that, Barbara is not sure how much longer her 57-year-old husband will be able to hang on. That's why these kids are so important. They give him hope. They give him laughter and courage. On that special day last Friday, they gave him prayers that reached up to the heavens for an answer. Bruce Partridge had to be there to see that. The pain would just have to wait. He was too busy with his kids. His kids. Ever since that first batch of letters arrived from Noelle Flohr's second-grade class at the school, he has thought of them in that way. They have been a godsend god·send n. Something wanted or needed that comes or happens unexpectedly. [Alteration of Middle English goddes sand, God's message : goddes, genitive of God, God . In one afternoon of reading 28 crayon-written, picture-filled letters, he went from the depths of depression to laughing harder than he'd laughed in months - ever since his body started failing him. There were letters filled with stick pictures of his beagle beagle, breed of dog beagle, breed of small, compact hound developed over centuries in England and introduced into the United States in the 1870s. It stands between 10 and 15 in. (25.4–38.1 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs between 20 and 40 lb (9. dogs and - in honor of Bruce's alma mater ma·ter n. Chiefly British Mother. [Latin m  ter; see m , USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. - of Tommy Trojan. Letters saying the little writers were praying for him every day, and he would get better. He just has to, the kids said. That's the beautiful thing about young children, Bruce and Barbara agreed as they baked some cookies to send to the children with a thank-you note. So much innocence and honesty. Such a wonderful, positive spin on life. Bruce will get better because he just has to - and that's that. That was exactly the kind of spin Bruce Partridge needed to hear and see. ``Do you want your cane cane, walking stick cane, walking stick. Probably used first as a weapon, it gradually took on the symbolism of strength and power and eventually authority and social prestige. or your walker, honey?'' Barbara asked as they prepared to leave their West Hills home Friday morning to drive to the school. ``Neither,'' Bruce said. ``I want to walk across that playground on my own to meet them.'' Barbara smiled and nodded. It had been months since she had seen her husband so determined and full of life. It was like the old Bruce was back. He was two, maybe three steps inside the playground when they saw him. ``It's Mr. Partridge,'' said one of the kids, running toward him. Soon, they all surrounded him, wanting to hold his hand, touch his arm. ``Mr. Partridge, I'm the one who drew the picture of your dogs.'' ``Mr. Partridge, I'm a USC fan, too.'' ``Mr. Partridge, we're all praying for you.'' ``Mr. Partridge, you're going to get better.'' Bruce Partridge took a deep breath and smiled, walking straighter and stronger than he had in months as his kids took him to his place of honor in the middle of the playground. Wiping the tears running down her face, Barbara followed with Noelle Flohr. The children led Bruce to a chair in the middle of a circle, and they sang him songs and performed skits for him. And when they were done, they each grabbed a balloon with a prayer attached. Then they released all the balloons together up to the sky - 28 prayers rising toward the heavens, asking God please to let Bruce Partridge live a while longer. ``They feel they can move mountains, these kids,'' Noelle whispered whis·per n. 1. Soft speech produced without full voice. 2. Something uttered very softly. 3. A secretly or surreptitiously expressed belief, rumor, or hint: whispers of scandal. to Barbara. ``Maybe they can,'' Barbara whispered back. Bruce didn't say much on the drive home, Barbara said. They were both lost in their own thoughts on what they had just seen. Both were filled with their own emotions. When they got home, Bruce said he was going upstairs to take a nap before his afternoon dialysis dialysis (dīăl`ĭsĭs), in chemistry, transfer of solute (dissolved solids) across a semipermeable membrane. Strictly speaking, dialysis refers only to the transfer of the solute; transfer of the solvent is called osmosis. treatment. He kissed Barbara and said what a wonderful day it had been. Then he went upstairs and finally let it all out - crying tears of joy for 28 second-graders who had adopted him. His kids - asking God to let him live a while longer. MEMO: Dennis McCarthy's column appears Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO Surrounded by children who have been writing to and p raying for him, Bruce Partridge surmounts the pain of kidney and liver failure liver failure Clinical medicine Liver insufficiency that results in death, requires a liver transplant, or is characterized by recovery after encephalopathy, or while awaiting a transplant; also defined as a condition with ≥ 3 of following: albumin < 3. . Hans Gutknecht/Daily News |
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