Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Keep family

in your prayers

To the Editor:

I am thankful that I opened your site this morning and the comments about the two burned children had been removed, but I would like to respond to the public in these words.

Having spent the afternoon at the Burn Unit at Riley changes your life forever. Both boys are fighting hard to cling to the fragility of life itself.

The parents of the boy we were there to see were in anguish that cannot be comprehended. They were working under their home nearby preparing it as they were getting ready to move into it. They were in constant phone contact with the son. He had just called and asked if he could stay another hour. He was playing with a group of friends at a home that had an adult overseeing them. How would you handle the "if onlys" of that?

Sometimes things just happen.

This child is the apple of his mother's eye. He is loved beyond reason and well taken care of. Upon seeing the family and response to the other boy while at Riley, the same can sure be said of him. These families have been thrown into a situation of immense emotional pain and their lives are forever changed by a one second incident.

For those who have time to send their uninformed thoughts to respond to this article, would you consider spending a day of your life visiting Riley Children's Hospital? You will never be the same. Or better yet, could you take your time and skills and put together a fundraiser for the Burn Unit at Riley? There could never be a better cause. These boys do not have doctors. They have teams of doctors.

Right now these boys need a miracle and your prayers to survive. Their families need your compassion and prayers as they go through the unimaginable. Please do not accuse anyone and may they never hear of the hurtful words that were briefly attached to this story.

Oh, and while you are at it, why not teach fire safety to all the children you come into contact with? Take time to have fire drills in your home and teach your children how to escape your home in a fire. For those who remember Cowboy Bob, teach Stop, Drop, and Roll to them as he used to do on commercials with his dog.

Good job, Nick, on the story.

Thank you for letting me share.

Pat Byrd

Bloomfield