My son's best friend, Chris, lived with his divorced mom. Sam (the mom) was very good to him and the dad invited Chris and my son to travel with him on wonderful, exotic vacations over the years. When they were in 12th grade, Sam was diagnosed with liver cancer. My son was so well loved by the family, that when Sam and her husband decided to reconcile for one last family vacation together before she died, Nathan was invited to join them. I was concerned when he dropped one of his grade 12 courses - he didn't want low grades to damage his academic future, and he needed extra time to spend with Chris and Sam as she was dying. This meant he would have to do at least one extra semester before he could graduate. One night he phoned to say he wasn't coming home - they had made a quick trip back to the hospital late that night after grabbing a quick supper, and Sam had died while they were there with her.
At the funeral, a woman approached me and my husband and identified herself as the head nurse from the hospital ward where Sam had been. She said, "I have to tell you that your son has single-handedly restored my faith in teenage boys. The way he supported his friend and spent time with his mom was like nothing I've ever seen. He brought Chris back to the hospital that night because he had a feeling they needed to be there. The two boys held her hands and comforted her, and when Sam died, he put his arms around his friend and they cried together. You should be very proud of that young man." This is a boy who in 4th grade was diagnosed with serious learning disabilities that might mean he could never finish high school, never have a proper career. Well, he picked up the course he dropped, graduated from university with highest honors, and was accepted into dental school in one of the best schools in the US. He's home for Christmas and I have a few more precious days to pamper him. He's my hero, and so is his dad who never believed the false diagnosis for a moment, and always expected the best from him.
Submitted by Anonymous
We've all had people in our lives who have made a positive impact on us. A parent or grandparent, a sibling who was there for us, or maybe even just a guy who shines shoes for a living? Whoever they are, tell us their story so they can inspire us even more.
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