Becky, a tiny-framed
16-year-old girl with big brown eyes sat in my kitchen floor and
played with the puppies. Giggling, she scooped them up and said,
"I wish I could have one of them."
I told her that of course she could have one, if it was all right
with her parents. I suddenly had a thought...
"Becky, you see that puppy right there...the one I call
Precious?" She nodded so I continued, "That puppy almost
died. Two of her siblings died the same way; they got chilled
right after they were born. But, do you know what is so special
about Precious?"
Shaking her head, I answered, "Precious wanted to live."
I told her the story of how Precious resolutely hung on to life,
refusing to succumb to the illness that had so quickly killed her
brother and sister; how she flat refused to die; and how I finally
took her back to our vet that lived across the street even though
he had already said there was nothing we could really do.
I told him, "This puppy wants to live and you are going to
show me how to help her do that." So he did.
He showed me how to insert a tube down her narrow throat into her
tiny one-week-old tummy so that I could feed her. From the moment
she got the first drops of nourishment, Precious began to fight
even harder…for life. Precious thrived from that moment on and
became such a sweet, loving angelic puppy.
Becky was excited; by now she had decided she had to have that
puppy. No other puppy would do for her once she heard the story.
You see, Becky was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis at the age of
three months and had been fighting for her life ever since. She
was now 16 years old and the fight was getting more and more
difficult as her breathing became more laborious. Even short walks
would tire her.
But, Precious did something for Becky; she inspired her to not
give up the fight...for life. Precious was someone who could
understand the hard earned right to live that we many times take
for granted. Becky did get to take Precious home and the bond
between them was an incredible sight. She loved that dog that had
fought so valiantly for life and they were inseparable.
Becky died four months later and although I can't say for certain,
somehow I like to believe that Precious helped her make her
transition from life to death just a little less frightening. I
also like to believe that because of the bond between Becky and
Precious, her parents were able to feel they had a little
something left of Becky besides their memories...they had a
special bond for life with Precious, whom Becky loved with all her
heart.
-- Lynelle Dawson
frankie088@aol.com |