Our Second Son

Our first child was born in March, and my wife liked that time of year for childbirth. However, George had other ideas. We welcomed him into the world on May 4 in San Antonio, the Alamo city! He was a happy little guy, and responded well to our moves to Big Spring, Boston, Allred, and to Santa Fe. There he began to limp. On taking him to the doctor, we found that he had a hip ailment they called Perthy's disease. The top of the femur had become porous and was flat on top. The only known cure was to keep him healthy and keep his weight off that leg. A brace was ordered. He walked around on that brace, and was the envy of his friends, who had no brace!

After a move to Roswell, NM, his doctor ordered him to stay in bed. We built a platform on his wagon, and his big brother pulled him around, up and down a ramp at the steps, and he kept a smile on his face all the time he was awake.

He progressed to crutches. These became his "machine guns" as he played war. Finally, just before he entered the first grade, the crutches were abandoned.

He liked school, but one day decided to "play hooky"--skip school. He spent a miserable afternoon trying to hide near some neighbors house until school was out. The neighbor notified his mother as to George's antics, so she wasn't worried. Finally, he saw that school was out so he went home. His miserable afternoon caused him to never skip school again!

His doctor told us that he could now have a bicycle. I brought one home while he was at school, and put it in his room. After school was out that afternoon, I followed him into his room. When he saw the bicycle he ran toward me, jumped up, grabbed me around the neck, and locked his legs around my waist! He was one happy little boy!

His next crisis involved his riding on a motor scooter and running into the side of a moving automobile. He was in a cast for quite awhile. He had just met a new girlfriend when the accident happened. She showed her loyalty, by staying by his side in the hospital and showing her friendship afterwards. When they were 19 they married.

He was drafted into the army during the Vietnam war, was injured during training, and received a medical discharge.

He attended college at Texas Tech and graduated from the University of Houston. He then graduated from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and became a minister in southern Illinois. While working full time he was able to earn a PH.D. degree from Southern Illinois University.

He now ministers to students as a tenured associate professor of health education at Lamar University, Beaumont, TX. One day, while walking to class, his legs shut down on him. Following surgery, he became a paraplegic. He is wheelchair-bound, but drives himself to work and teaches his classes at the University.

Throughout his life he has refused to give in to adversity. He keeps a smile on his face, and is dearly loved by his family, students, and all who know him! He and his wife have one married son who is a psychiatrist in Oklahoma.

In addition to the role that George's wife, Mary, plays in his life, another precious lady, Marva, a home health care lady, appears at his home five or more mornings per week, to get him ready for his day's activities.