The Perfect Prom Date
This story comes from Raegan Martin, oldest daughter of our nurse practitioner Mindy Martin. Raegan, an accomplished student and vocalist, is graduating from Washington High School this Friday. She makes her parents proud every day.
My brother Sam has always been someone I have looked up to. He is by far the strongest person I have ever met. Sam was born with HLHS (Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome). Because of this, he has gone through three open heart surgeries. Though you wouldn’t expect it, Sam is the kindest, happiest and most positive person you will ever meet. I have always thought of Sam as a best friend; he is one of the most important people in my life.
Sam has been going through a lot this past year; exponentially more than in past years. I always ask myself “How?” How can it be that he still remains so positive? How is it that he can go to the doctor’s office week after week for tests and not get agitated and upset? How can he still manage to put everyone before himself? How does he still manage to see only the best in the world and in people around him? But most frequently I ask myself this question: How I can fix this?
Highlight of Senior Year
As my senior year went on, it came time to start thinking about prom. What could I do to make this the best memory of my high school career? Something I can look back on later in life as one of the best memories I have? After countless hours of looking for the perfect dress, my mom and I made the trip to Wisconsin. It was there that I bought my dream dress.
The next prom project was one of much concern for high school girls. Who was I going to go with? After much contemplation and a list of many pros and cons, it hit me. Why would I go to prom with some boy I don’t really care for when I could go with my best friend? The next Monday, I went directly to the administrative faculty at Washington High School to discuss my plan. It was only two days later on a Subway date that I asked Sam to be my prom date.
Best of Brothers, Best of Friends
It was this experience that taught me that sometimes things don’t need to be fixed. Why fix what isn’t broken? Sam is perfect; he is not broken and he does not need to be fixed. The only - and most important - thing I can do is to thank him. Taking Sam to prom was one way of doing this. It was a way for me to show him how awesome and amazing he really is and to thank him for being my best friend.
Sam, I want to thank you for showing how beautiful life really is and for showing me that miracles really do happen. Thank you for being my little miracle.
