Kyle was sitting in his wheelchair in front of his house. He liked to watch his friends ride their bikes on the street. The victim of a bicycle accident, he had lost all feeling from the waist down, and the doctor’s diagnosis was uncertain.
“It’s time for your therapy,” his mother said.
“Oh, mommy, do I have to?”
“Yes!”
Kyle maneuvered his small wheelchair all by himself. His mother picked him up in her arms and placed him gingerly on a blanket on the floor. Then she began her daily routine of lifting his legs up and down and massaging them.
Suddenly, Lucky came running into the room and greeted him with wet licks. Kyle squealed loudly. “Hi Lucky,” he said, picking him up in his arms.
Lucky, his new puppy, was so excited to see him that he would not quit licking him. Kyle remained on the floor to play with him. His mother walked out of the room and when she returned, she found Kyle laughing hysterically.
Kyle,” she said. “You’re wiggling your toes.”
“Lucky is tickling my toes and making me laugh,” he said. The feeling was returning on his legs.
Mary Vela is from San Antonio, TX. Her published articles include: “The Importance of Faith,” St. Vincent de Paul’s Catholic Church Newsletter; and “Don’t Give Up on Faith,” Today’s Catholic Newspaper. "A Miracle for Juanito" earned Honorable Mention at the 74th Writers Digest Competition in October 2005. Vela has worked as an Editorial Assistant at a medical facility where she developed and edited regulations and guides, leading to cash awards, time off awards, and selection as Civilian of the Year. Vela is presently working on a series of children's stories related to growing pains. Two longer length manuscripts are also in the works: "The Mystery at the Old Shack" an expanded story about her grandfather's experience as a grave digger and "A Miracle for Juanito," a story about a mother's struggle to heal her crippled son.
© 2008 Mary Vela. Original for CCF (Vela grants CCF first electronic rights for one month; CCF may archive the material indefinitely and include it in an eBook anthology).
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