A person’s strength can sometimes be braced by the bonds built through close friendships.
Two days before his sixth birthday at the pediatrician’s office on July 15, then 5-year-old Houston Sides’s initial check up results showed a strong, healthy boy. But when Sides hopped off the exam table, the pediatrician spotted something.
kAm“‘(@H[ x’G6 ?6G6C ?@E:465 9:D 42=G6D 36:?8 E92E AC@>:?6?E 367@C6[’” w@FDE@?’D >@E96C[ z:> $:56D C642==65 :? 2? 6\>2:=]k^Am
kAmp D:>A=6 E6DE @7 w@FDE@? 4C@F49:?8 5@H? :? 2 42E496C’D A@D:E:@? 2?5 DE2?5:?8 324< FA C6G62=65 2 H62<6?:?8 ECFE9]k^Am
kAm“‘r=2DD:4 D:8?D @7 >FD4F=2C 5JDEC@A9J[’” E96 A65:2EC:4:2? D2:5]k^Am
kAmuFCE96C 6I2>:?2E:@?D C6>@G65 2== 5@F3E[ 2D E96 e\J62C\@=5 H2D 5:28?@D65 H:E9 sF496??6 |FD4F=2C sJDEC@A9J Ws|sX]k^Am
kAmu@F?5 AC:>2C:=J :? J@F?8 3@JD[ s|s 6>6C86D H96? E96 86?6 C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C 6?4@5:?8 5JDEC@A9:?[ H9:49 AC@E64ED E96 3@5J’D >FD4=6 46==D[ 92D 366? >FE2E65] (:E9 5JDEC@A9:? 23D6?E[ s|s C2A:5=J AC@8C6DD6D[ C6DF=E:?8 :? D:8?:7:42?E =@DD @7 DEC6?8E9 2?5 2D E96 >FD4=6 46==D 2C6 52>2865[ E96 H62<?6DD 368:?D E@ 27764E E96 962CE 2?5 =F?8D]k^Am
kAms|s :D E96 >@DE 4@>>@? 72E2= 86?6E:4 5:D@C56C 5:28?@D65 :? 49:=5C6? 2?5 42? 27764E 2?J@?6] rFCC6?E=J[ 5@4E@CD 2?5 C6D62C496CD 92G6 56G6=@A65 EC62E>6?ED E92E 42? D=@H 5@H? E96 AC@46DD[ 3FE E96C6 :D ?@ 4FC6 7@C s|s]k^Am
kAm%96 $:56D[ 2=@?8 H:E9 7C:6?5D %C@J tG2?D[ r9C:D z62C=6J[ vC68 (:==:D 2?5 y6??J w2>:=E@? 9@A6 E@ C2:D6 2H2C6?6DD @7 s|s 2?5 DA665 FA E96 AC@46DD @7 7:?5:?8 2 4FC6 3J 86?6C2E:?8 >@?6J H:E9 E96 w@A6 c w@FDE@? dz 2?5 `\>:=6 CF? $2EFC52J[ }@G] ab 2E (6EF>A<2 |:55=6 $49@@=]k^Am
kAm“%9:D :D 2 =@42= (6EF>A<2[ t4=64E:4 72>:=J E92E H6’C6 DFAA@CE:?8 96C6[” w2>:=E@? D2:5] “%96J 92G6 EH@ <:5D[ E96J 92G6 2? @=56C 52F89E6C[ 2?5 @7 4@FCD6[ E96J 92G6 w@FDE@?[ H9@ H2D 5:28?@D65 H:E9 sF496??6] $@[ H92E H6’C6 5@:?8 :D H6’C6 ECJ:?8 E@ C2:D6 2H2C6?6DD 7@C s|s]k^Am
kAm“x A6CD@?2==J 925 ?6G6C 962C5 @7 :E 367@C6 E9:D[ 2?5 :E 27764ED D@ >2?J J@F?8 3@JD[ 2?5 :E H62<6?D E96:C >FD4=6D] %96 >@?6J H6 C2:D6 H:== DFAA@CE E96 72>:=J[ 3FE 2=D@ 8@ E@H2C5 4=:?:42= EC:2=D 7@C sF496??6 E92E 42? 96=A 962= E96:C D@? @C 2E =62DE AC@=@?8 9:D =:76]”k^Am
kAm$:?46 $:56D’D 5:28?@D6D :? yF=J[ E96 4@>>:EE66 @7 7C:6?5D 3682? @C82?:K:?8 E96 6G6?E] w2>:=E@? D2:5 DFAA@CE E9FD 72C 92D 366? EC6>6?5@FD 2?5 92D @?=J 366? 86?6C2E65 3J H@C5\@7\>@FE9]k^Am
kAm“(92E H6’G6 5@?6[ H6 92G6?’E 25G6CE:D6[ 3FE E96 4@>>:EE66[ E96 E9C66 8FJD >JD6=7 2?5 9:D A2C6?ED[ x D6?E @FE 2? 6\>2:= E@ 6G6CJ@?6 @? >J 6\>2:= 5:DEC:3FE:@? =:DE[ 2?5 2D<65 2== @7 E96> E@ 5@ D2>6[” D2:5 w2>:=E@?] “(6 D6E FA 2 u2463@@< A286[ 2?5 A6@A=6 92G6 C6DA@?565 G6CJ H6==] xED C62==J ;FDE 366? H@C5 @7 >@FE9 E9C@F89 6\>2:= 2?5 u2463@@<]k^Am
kAm“(6’G6 C646:G65 EC6>6?5@FD DFAA@CE 7C@> E9:D 2C62] (6’G6 8@E 8C62E DA@?D@CD] (6’== 6?5 FA C2:D:?8 S`d[___ 7C@> E9:D C246 367@C6 :E’D 2== D2:5\2?5\5@?6 2?5 x E9:?< E92E’D 2 E6DE2>6?E @7 2== E96 H@C< E92E H6’G6 AFE :?E@ E9:D]”k^Am
kAmp? @G6CH96=>:?8 2>@F?E @7 DFAA@CE 7C@> E96 4@>>F?:EJ[ 4@FA=65 H:E9 E96 AC@46DD @7 @C82?:K:?8 E96 dz[ 92D 3@=DE6C65 E96 $:56D 2?5 E96:C 72>:=J]k^Am
kAm“%96 766=:?8 E92E x 86E[ E96J ;FDE 7@F?5 @FE :? yF=J[ x E9:?< z:> 76=E 9@A6=6DD 2E E96 G6CJ 368:??:?8[ 2?5 E96J ?66565 D@>6E9:?8 E@ 36 23=6 E@ 5@[” w2>:=E@? D2:5] “$@ E9:D 92D C62==J 8:G6? E96> D@>6E9:?8 E@ AFE E96:C 6?6C8J E@] %96J’C6 ?@E D:EE:?8 2C@F?5 =:<6[ ‘(92E 2> x 8@:?8 E@ 5@ ?@H]’ x 36=:6G6 E9:D 92D 366? G6CJ A@H6C:?8 7@C E96> E@ 5@ D@>6E9:?8 =:<6 E9:D]”k^Am
kAmw@FDE@?’D 72E96C[ $4@EE[ 42>6 24C@DD E96 q:3=6 D4C:AEFC6 xD2:29 c_ib_\b` 2 76H 52JD 27E6C 9:D D@?’D 5:28?@D6D[ z:> C642==D] xE C625Di “tG6? J@FE9D 8C@H E:C65 2?5 H62CJ[ 2?5 J@F?8 >6? DEF>3=6 2?5 72==j 3FE E9@D6 H9@ 9@A6 :? E96 {@C5 H:== C6?6H E96:C DEC6?8E9] %96J H:== D@2C @? H:?8D =:<6 628=6Dj E96J H:== CF? 2?5 ?@E 8C@H H62CJ[ E96J H:== H2=< 2?5 ?@E 36 72:?E]”k^Am
kAmw@FDE@?’D DEC6?8E9 H:== ?@E 36 567:?65 3J s|s[ 3FE C67:?65 3J E96 =@G6 @7 3@?5 @7 9:D 72>:=J 2?5 7C:6?5D[ 2=@?8 H:E9 E96 4@>>F?:EJ’D H:==:?8?6DD E@ 96=A]k^Am
kAm“p?J3@5J 42? 86E @FE E@ H2=< 2 >:=6 7@C E9:D <:5[ D@ H6 6?4@FC286 2?J3@5J E92E H2?ED E@ 4@>6 @FE E92E 52J E@ 96=A w@FDE@?[”D2:5 w2>:=E@?]k^Am
kAmt2C=J C68:DEC2E:@? 7@C E96 CF? :D Sad 2?5 Sb_ E96 52J @7 E96 C246] #F??6CD 42? C68:DE6C @?=:?6 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]@?6DE@AC246]4@>^D62C49^6G6?E]2DAIn:5labdeb]Qm9EEAi^^HHH]@?6DE@AC246]4@>^D62C49^6G6?E]2DAIn:5labdeb]k^2mk^Am
kAm|2:= :? C68:DEC2E:@? 42? 36 D6?E E@ w@A6 c w@FDE@?[ !]~] q@I f__[ (6EF>A<2[ p{ be_ha]k^Am
