really. Of course I’m overjoyed for us. I’m sick for the Flannerys,” Jeannie said. “Have you seen them?”
“I went over once. I talked to Mr. Flannery and to Sarah. They’re trying to plan a memorial service. But Mrs. Flan nery is like, out of it.”
“I should have gone to see her by now.” “They’re pretty out of it.”
“Danny, I’m so sorry,” Jeannie said.
“Yeah, it’s rough. I don’t think it’s really hit me yet. It’s just days. . . .”
“This will be with you for years, Danny.” “Would you mind if I came to see her?”
“No, ofcoursenot,” Jeannieanswered, slightlyshocked. We . . . actually, we want to encourage her friends to come to see her. The last few days have been a blur for me. Maury is starting to talk, and she saw Lee-Lee and the others . . .”
“On TV, yeah. Bridget’s memorial fund at the bank has thousands and thousands of dollars in it already, Mrs. O.”
“Well, I certainly don’t know about that.” “People wonder why . . .”
“What, Danny?”
He thought he couldn’t say it now, though going to see Maureen and saying this was the real reason he had de cided to call. People were saying Coach and Mrs. O. didn’t
seem grateful. Nobody understood why they refused to talk to anybody. It was like Maury belonged only to them and not to anyone else who loved her.
“What?” Jeannie asked again.
And so he did tell her, and Jeannie went silent for a mo ment before she replied, “That makes sense.”
“So, I thought I’d come to the hospital maybe Sunday.” “That’s good,” said Jeannie.
She put down the phone and called her son, Henry, at school to ask for his help. Henry agreed to drop all but one class and come back to Bigelow to become the O’Malley family spokesman.
Bill had to be coaxed into letting his son make such a sacrifice. He had to confer with Henry’s coach to see if a semester off would mean cutting off Henry’s scholarship. The coach was adamant: Henry would be welcomed back in the fall.
So with easy grace, Henry appeared on the Nancy Cas sidy show and provided a home video of Bridget and Maureen for Today. He held a press conference in front of the hospital and spoke of his sister gradually growing more responsive by the day, answering questions, asking for her dog.
Henry told Larry King, “She’s my sister, and so it’s pri vate to us, the family. You can’t blame my folks for not wanting to leave her bedside. But we also understand how people can really genuinely care so much about a stranger. These people have become our friends even though we’ll
never meet them.”
Jeannie was proud of him.
Henry started his own blog. He asked Jeannie to con tribute a daily Bible verse, knowing that she would like that. The first was from Psalm 121.
March 10
Psalm 121:1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
There was great relief when my sister recog nized my brother Pat today. Pat came home from school for the weekend because our family is having a sort of celebration at church, a Mass of thanksandthenasmallget-together. Hewentto the hospital and right away Maureen, who was sitting up in her chair, said “Fat!” And we know it wasn’t a mistake, the kind she makes when she says “gulls” but means “glass” or “slider” when she means “window.” When he was in about sixth grade, Pat was chubby, and Maury would tease him and call him “Fatty Patty.” It was a great moment, because my brother was very depressed that Maury didn’t know him at first.
Maureen’s therapy is going well. Her right leg is still very weak, but her left leg is getting strong and stronger. Her arms were injured very badly in the crash, so the therapists are encour
aged that she can do some small things like lift a glass—actually that’s a pretty big thing!—and put together a simple puzzle.
The hospital let us bring our Yorkshire terrier, Rag Mop, to visit. He was Maury’s twelfth-birth day
“I went over once. I talked to Mr. Flannery and to Sarah. They’re trying to plan a memorial service. But Mrs. Flan nery is like, out of it.”
“I should have gone to see her by now.” “They’re pretty out of it.”
“Danny, I’m so sorry,” Jeannie said.
“Yeah, it’s rough. I don’t think it’s really hit me yet. It’s just days. . . .”
“This will be with you for years, Danny.” “Would you mind if I came to see her?”
“No, ofcoursenot,” Jeannieanswered, slightlyshocked. We . . . actually, we want to encourage her friends to come to see her. The last few days have been a blur for me. Maury is starting to talk, and she saw Lee-Lee and the others . . .”
“On TV, yeah. Bridget’s memorial fund at the bank has thousands and thousands of dollars in it already, Mrs. O.”
“Well, I certainly don’t know about that.” “People wonder why . . .”
“What, Danny?”
He thought he couldn’t say it now, though going to see Maureen and saying this was the real reason he had de cided to call. People were saying Coach and Mrs. O. didn’t
seem grateful. Nobody understood why they refused to talk to anybody. It was like Maury belonged only to them and not to anyone else who loved her.
“What?” Jeannie asked again.
And so he did tell her, and Jeannie went silent for a mo ment before she replied, “That makes sense.”
“So, I thought I’d come to the hospital maybe Sunday.” “That’s good,” said Jeannie.
She put down the phone and called her son, Henry, at school to ask for his help. Henry agreed to drop all but one class and come back to Bigelow to become the O’Malley family spokesman.
Bill had to be coaxed into letting his son make such a sacrifice. He had to confer with Henry’s coach to see if a semester off would mean cutting off Henry’s scholarship. The coach was adamant: Henry would be welcomed back in the fall.
So with easy grace, Henry appeared on the Nancy Cas sidy show and provided a home video of Bridget and Maureen for Today. He held a press conference in front of the hospital and spoke of his sister gradually growing more responsive by the day, answering questions, asking for her dog.
Henry told Larry King, “She’s my sister, and so it’s pri vate to us, the family. You can’t blame my folks for not wanting to leave her bedside. But we also understand how people can really genuinely care so much about a stranger. These people have become our friends even though we’ll
never meet them.”
Jeannie was proud of him.
Henry started his own blog. He asked Jeannie to con tribute a daily Bible verse, knowing that she would like that. The first was from Psalm 121.
March 10
Psalm 121:1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
There was great relief when my sister recog nized my brother Pat today. Pat came home from school for the weekend because our family is having a sort of celebration at church, a Mass of thanksandthenasmallget-together. Hewentto the hospital and right away Maureen, who was sitting up in her chair, said “Fat!” And we know it wasn’t a mistake, the kind she makes when she says “gulls” but means “glass” or “slider” when she means “window.” When he was in about sixth grade, Pat was chubby, and Maury would tease him and call him “Fatty Patty.” It was a great moment, because my brother was very depressed that Maury didn’t know him at first.
Maureen’s therapy is going well. Her right leg is still very weak, but her left leg is getting strong and stronger. Her arms were injured very badly in the crash, so the therapists are encour
aged that she can do some small things like lift a glass—actually that’s a pretty big thing!—and put together a simple puzzle.
The hospital let us bring our Yorkshire terrier, Rag Mop, to visit. He was Maury’s twelfth-birth day
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