(Originally published in Collision Course Issue 3,
Spring 1997)
The date was July 17, 2026. The sun was beginning to rise on the southeast
side of Tracy Island, which meant it was going to shine directly into Kyrano's
quarters. Feeling the sun's warmth on his face, Kyrano woke up smiling.
He pulled himself out of bed and put on his sandals.
Meanwhile, Gordon quietly walked out of Virgil 's room and was sneaking
down the hallway when he saw Kyrano walk out of his room. "Morning,
Kyrano," he whispered theatrically.
"Good morning, Gordon. What is the practical joker trying to do
this time?"
"I've set Virgil's clock-radio to give him a little alarm call,"
replied Gordon, grinning broadly, "and it should go off any time now."
Gordon and Kyrano waited, and sure enough, thirty seconds later the radio
in Virgil's quarters sounded off, playing the 1975 classic song Bohemian
Rhapsody by Queen. It was just beginning to get to the loudest part
of the song with the electric guitar playing the loud chords.
Virgil ran out screaming and laughing hard, and upon seeing Gordon he
yelled, "I'll get you for that, goofbrain!"
Everyone else in the luxury home heard Virgil, and they opened their
doors to find out what was happening.
"Hey," Jeff said in a gruff
tone, "what the heck's going on here?"
As Virgil started to chase
Gordon around the house, Kyrano filled Jeff in on the details.
Virgil and Gordon ran outside and around the swimming pool, but soon
Virgil had his younger brother cornered as Gordon was forced to step on
the diving board. "Give me a loud wake-up call, would you?" asked
Virgil, holding his arms out as if he were about to push someone.
Realizing he was running out of board Gordon said, "Now wait a
minute. You wouldn't do this to somebody who just woke up, would you?"
"That depends on the person who pulled the joke."
Alan and Tin-Tin were first to spot the action. "Oh, no!"
Tin-Tin exclaimed. "It looks as though Gordon's going to get wet."
"With one small push," added Alan, "you could be right."
Gordon was down to his last step and with one small push by Virgil,
he fell into the water.
The rest of the family came along to see the end
result of Gordon's latest gag. They all started laughing when he popped
his head above the surface of the water.
Virgil walked up to the rest of the group and said, "I should have
known Bohemian Rhapsody was on the air."
Gordon, in his now wet pajamas, came along and said, "Are you kidding?
I had no idea about that song playing on the radio. Talk about lucky."
"T-That's a true one-in-a-million shot," said Brains. "How
many times c-can someone be awakened by the loudest point of that c-classic?"
"That's a good point," Scott said. "It may never happen
again."
"Oh, well," Jeff said happily, "since we're already up
and running, we may as well have Kyrano cook breakfast."
"Good idea," said Gordon. "That should give me enough
time to dry off from my backfired joke."
"Oh, it didn't backfire," Virgil said. "It was just a
twist of bad luck with that song."
Everyone walked back into the house smiling because Kyrano was about
to prepare another good meal. Also, by the way the sun was shining, it
looked as though the day would be all smiles.
In the meantime, over ten thousand miles away in the southeastern United
States, the high noon sun was hitting a group of college friends who were
on a summer hiking trip at Cheaha State Park in Alabama. The day was typical
of an Alabama summer day: very hot and humid. Fortunately for the group,
they were more than prepared for the weather with food and plenty of water.
Leading the group of five friends was a handsome young man named Sam
Wilson. Standing more than six feet, he was easily the tallest member of
the bunch. He had just graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
He had studied to become an architect, but after four long years he wanted
to take some time off from the hard work. "I just love nature trips,
don't you?"
"You bet!" said Lainie, Sam's younger sister. Attending the
same university from which her brother had graduated, and only a year behind,
she had exceptional talents, including a black belt in karate, a pair of
silver medals at the previous summer's Alabama Sports Festival, and a lot
of vigorous energy. She was also in the English Honors Program at UAB.
The third person involved was Reggie Gonzalez, an exchange student from
Peru. Learning to speak perfect English as a child, he had no trouble communicating
with his friends. Resting from his studies as a nursing major he was truly
enjoying himself. "This is great, mis amigos! I love going
back to nature."
"I think it's so important to understand the natural world,"
said Eric Mayers, "before we lose it all under concrete." Eric
was an environmental science major at Faulkner University. He was an enthusiastic
proponent of 21st Century neo-ecology.
The fifth and last member of the group was a shy, quiet young woman
who had had trouble making friends until she met Sam, Lainie, Reggie, and
Eric. Her name was Shelley Berndon, and she was a mass communications major
at Auburn University at Montgomery. She had high hopes about becoming either
a radio broadcaster/producer or a television anchorwoman. In the last five
years, though, this brown-eyed, brown-haired girl had suffered from "anxiety
attacks," resulting in her heart rate accelerating to a dangerous
level, even when she was resting. Fortunately, her spells in the last three
months lasted for only a few seconds. The only setback was that she was
considerably weakened, but she wouldn't allow that problem to stop her
from enjoying life, hence her trip into the forest. "Whew!" she
exclaimed. "It's really hot today. A rainstorm would really help us
right now."
"Shelley's right," said Sam. "It hasn't rained in over
two months. Just a little rain would cool us off."
Of course, the only way to cool off in Alabama during the hot summer
was by means of afternoon thunderstorms. With the Gulf of Mexico providing
the moisture, it would not take too much warmth to bring the rough weather
to the area. This day was no exception, as the sky was already darkening.
"Oh, boy," Lainie said, feeling uneasy. "We need to get
back to our cabin before it starts raining on us."
Eric agreed. "A summer shower around here is more like a gullywasher,
and flash-flooding can happen."
Reggie had something else in mind. "I'm more concerned about lightning
strikes. Since the trees are so dry one lightning bolt could easily start
a forest fire."
Sam calmly said, "Well, we shouldn't take any chances, so we might
as well go back."
They all turned around and started walking north toward the cabin that
they had rented for the weekend. Everything was going well on their walk
back, that is, until a lightning bolt came out of the sky and struck a tree
just to the right of the trail only fifty feet behind the group! The tree
suddenly caught fire and split in two right down the middle. When the two
sides hit the trees next to them, they too caught fire, and within seconds
the area behind the group had become a huge conflagration.
The five hikers knew that they had to run as quickly as they could back
to their fire-resistant cabin. For nearly fifteen minutes they jogged non-stop,
trying to escape the forest fire.
At last Shelley saw their objective. "I can see it! Go for it,
hurry!" They all made it safely inside, just as the flames started
surrounding the cabin.
In their safe haven Reggie had a suggestion. "We must call the
ranger station. It's our only chance to get help." Lainie agreed to
the idea and picked up the cabin telephone.
At the ranger station ten miles away, Chief Ranger Richard Wallace noticed
the fire. With horror he realized it was in the same region where he knew
the five students were staying. He heard the telephone ringing and quickly
picked up the receiver. "Ranger station, Chief Ranger Wallace speaking."
"Chief Ranger Wallace, this is Lainie Wilson. We're staying in
the cabin ten miles from your station—"
"Say no more, Miss Wilson. I already know that you're all trapped
there. I suggest that you all stay in that fire-resistant cabin. I'll do
the best I can to get help for you."
"Thank you, sir. We'll stay here."
When Chief Ranger Wallace hung up the telephone, he knew he had to do
something, but there was one major problem. The state budget in 2007 had
gotten so bad that the govemor had no choice but to eliminate the use of
helicopters and planes that had been used to extinquish forest fires. He
realized that the only hope for the five hikers was to put out a call on
the short-wave radio.
In geostationary orbit 25,000 miles above the Earth was the heart of
International Rescue communication system. First to be involved in executing
the dramatic rescues, Thunderbird Five was capable of picking up
all kinds of distress signals.
John Tracy had returned from his monthly break on Earth only two days
ago, and now the auto-alarm drew his attention to the first emergency call
since his return: "Calling International Rescue," a voice said.
"Calling International Rescue. This is an emergency."
John activated the tape recorder to pick up every word, and then pressed
the "send" button on Thunderbird Five's powerful radio
transmitter. "This is International Rescue. Please identify yourself
and describe the nature of the emergency."
"International Rescue! Thank God! This is Chief Ranger Richard
Wallace at Cheaha State Park in Alabama. A forest fire has broken out here,
and it's spreading very rapidly. The immediate concem is the safety of
five young people who are trapped the middle of the fire. They are safe
for now in the fire-resistant cabin, but the air is getting very hot and
they may run out of oxygen. Please send help!"
"Stay calm, Ranger Wallace," responded John. "Help is
on its way." He wasted no time in getting the rest of the family into
action. "Central control from Thunderbird Five, come in please."
Jeff had just walked into the lounge when he saw the eyes of John's
portrait light up. He took his seat at his desk and spoke into the microphone.
"Go ahead, son."
"Father, there's an emergency situation at Cheaha State Park in
Alabama." John described the situation.
Within minutes everyone had gathered in the lounge as Jeff discussed
the plan of action. "Scott, take Brains with you in Thunderbird
One. Set up the mobile control unit at the ranger station, ten miles
east of that cabin."
"Yes, sir," Scott said. "Come on, Brains."
As Scott and Brains started to leave, Jeff turned to Virgil and Alan.
"I want both of you to take the Firefly in Pod 5 to the danger
zone. Be very careful as the fire is spreading rapidly. Land Thunderbird
Two immediately south of the edge of the fire in the nearest clearing."
"Yes, sir," they said in unison.
"All right," Jeff said. "We're ready. Thunderbirds Are
Go!"
As International Rescue sprung into action, the five people in the cabin
were beginning to wonder if they were going to escape safely.
Unfortunately, things got more complicated when Shelley began to breathe
heavily; she placed her left hand on her chest.
Eric was first to notice her sitting down in a chair. "Are you
okay, Shelley?"
"I don't think so," she responded, panting with every breath.
"I think I'm having another anxiety attack."
Lainie said, "Maybe it's just the excitement of the situation."
"Sure," added Eric. "It'll be over in a few minutes."
"I sure hope you're right, Eric," Shelley replied, "but
I have had some long-lasting ones."
Thunderbirds One and Two were over coastal California
when Scott contacted his father. "Our estimated time of arrival at
Cheaha is thirty minutes."
"F.A.B., Scott. I'll let you know if anything else develops."
"Right, Dad."
Fifteen minutes after Shelley began to suffer from her attack of anxiety,
she was still not feeling well, and she was weakening considerably.
"I'd better check her heart rate," Reggie said. He knealt
by her and gently took her wrist. Using his watch he timed her pulse. Eventually
he looked up. "Her heart rate is well over two hundred beats per minute!"
"This is more than a run-of-the-mill panic attack, said Lainie.
"I agree," said Reggie. "Our only chance is to call the
ranger." He picked up the cabin telephone.
Ranger Wallace was looking through his binoculars, hoping that Intemational
Rescue would arrive soon. When his phone rang, he grew worried that another
cabin was in trouble. Faithful to his job, however, he picked up the receiver
and calmly said, "Ranger station, Chief Ranger Wallace speaking."
"Sir, this is Reggie Gonzalez, one of the five people in the cabin.
One of our group is having a heart problem. Her heart rate is racing and—-"
Wallace spoke frantically. "Hello, Reggie! Are you there?!"
But it was no use - the fire had burned through the telephone line.
On the other end Reggie hung up the phone and turned to his friends.
"The line is dead."
"It must have been fried by the fire," Eric said.
"If we don't get help soon, we've had it!" cried Lainie.
Sam agreed and added, "And Shelley may not last much longer if
her heart rate stays too high."
Ranger Wallace knew that if Shelley didn't get medical help she would
die. He went back to the short wave radio to contact International Rescue
again.
Thunderbirds One and Two were only five minutes away from
the Cheaha area when the crews of both ships received a message from Jeff.
"We have an emergency within an emergency. According to John, one
of the five people trapped in the cabin may be suffering a heart attack,
and it's up to us to get her to the nearest hospital as soon as possible."
"I-In that case," started Brains, "might I make a quick
suggestion?"
"Anything, Brains."
"Why d-don't we have Alan take the Firefly into the area
just surrounding the cabin. He can blow out the fire for a quarter-mile
radius around it. This should g-give Virgil enough room to bring the emergency
escape pod d-down to pick up Shelley and take her to a hospital in Birmingham."
"Great idea," Alan said excitedly. "It's her best chance."
Scott added, "It's her only chance. Let's move -- her life is in
our hands."
"Keep in touch, Scott," Jeff said.
"F.A.B., Dad."
Chief Ranger Wallace saw Thunderbird One land next to the ranger
station while Thunderbird Two landed at the clearing three miles
south of the fire's edge. "I'm sure glad you came," said the
ranger. "State budget cuts have really hurt us in the forestry division,
and forest fires are getting harder to put out all the time."
"I can understand that, sir," Scott said. "Now to get
the mobile control set up."
"Use my office, by all means."
"Thank you, sir."
Meanwhile, Virgil and Alan were getting ready to launch the Firefly.
As Alan donned his firefighting suit, Virgil said, "How long will
it be before I can get the escape pod down to them?"
"Give me between ten and fifteen minutes to create the fire break
and then send down the escape pod."
"Okay."
Scott and Brains had finished setting up mobile control. Scott asked
the ranger where the cabin was located.
"Exactly ten miles west of here."
Scott used the computer to plot the coordinates to send to Alan in the
Firefly. As Brains looked outside the window at tne raging inferno
he couldn't help wondering if this might just be International Rescue's
first failure...
It had been more than half-an-hour since Shelley's heart rate had risen.
Luckily, she stayed very calm. "As long as I can. . . stay awake,"
she said, her voice beginning to fade, "I'll make it."
"Hang on, Shelley," Lainie said, holding her friend's hand.
"You're going to make it," added Sam.
"Don't . . . worry - I had one . . . last two hours. I'll be all
right."
Eric looked at Reggie and said, "Wow! Shelley's one tough kid."
"Yes, and she is determined not to give up on herself." Reggie
then turned away and said to himself, "Dios, sea con Shelley, por
favor (Spanish for: God, be with Shelley, please) . . ."
Alan was ready in the Firefly. "Mobile Control from Firefly.
I'm ready to go."
"F.A.B., Alan," said Scott. "Steer course zero-seven-three.
Cabin is eight miles no northeast of your present position. Remember to
blow out the fire for a quarter-mile radius."
"F.A.B., Scott." Alan drove the Firefly toward the
cabin, but he was thinking more about whether Shelley would survive the
difficult ordeal. "Don't worry," he thought. "We'll get
you safely oul danger, somehow."
Shelley's heart rate was still too high, and she started to feel very
cold. "Am I dreaming, or am I . . . freezing?"
Being a nursing student Reggie knew that this a the first warning sign
of a heart attack. "She's in real danger!"
Lainie grew so concerned she started to scream. "She won't make
it; she won't make it!"
Sam grabbed his younger sister by the arms and yelled, "Stop, sis! You're
going crazy!"
Lainie struggled to break the grip, but she exerted so much energy in
doing so that she exhausted herself. She then dissolved into tears and
gave Sam a hug.
He calmly said, "It's all right, sis. I know you're upset; we all
are. Hopefully the ranger was able to call for help in time."
Suddenly an explosion rocked the cabin and its inhabitants.
"What's happening?" Eric asked frantically.
Reggie looked through the window and noticed something weird. "There's
some kind of-of machine out there, like some kind of tank," he said,
"and it's trying to put out the fire!"
To their amazement, the "tank" kept shooting shells of nitroglycerin
to blast the fire out around the cabin.
Lainie was awed by the sight. "Wow! That's the first tank I've
ever seen used for something other that fighting!"
Eric laid a hand on her shoulder. "But it is fighting, Lainie.
It's fighting for our lives."
The Firefly was doing an excellent job in creating a clear zone
around the cabin.
Virgil was ready to take off. "Mobile Control fron Thunderbird
Two. Taking off now, Scott."
"F.A.B., Virgil." Scott changed frequencies a contact Alan.
"Firefly from Mobile Control. Are you done clearing the area?"
"Give me one more minute, Scott, and it'll be ready."
"F.A.B. Virgil's now airborne."
Sure enough, Thunderbird Two was hovering over the cabin. Inside,
Shelley was still very cold and started to drop in and out of consciousness.
"Are we . . . going to get out of . . . here?"
Sam reassured her. "Yes, we'll get out. Someone out there's putting
out the fire around us."
"Good. At least . . . we have a chance."
Alan finished the clearing operation and called Virgil. "Firefly
to Thunderbird Two. Mission here complete. Prepare to lower emergency
escape pod in one minute."
"Right, Alan."
Alan then activated his megaphone to speak a the cabin occupants. "Attention
in the cabin. Please come out immediately so that we can get the sick member
of your party into Thunderbird Two's emergency escape pod and transport
her to the nearest hospital."
Eric arched his eyebrows. "Did he just say 'Thunderbird Two'?"
"I don't believe it!" exclaimed Lainie. "It's International
Rescue!"
"We'd better do what he says," Reggie said. "Shelley's
life depends on it; she's getting worse."
"Let's go!" Sam shouted. He knealt by Shelley. "Come
on, we're getting out of here right now."
"We-we are?"
"You betcha. Come on, I'll take you." San wrapped his left
arm around her right shoulder and got her to her feet; they walked slowly
out of the cabin to join the others. They gazed in awe at the blaze surrounding
the cabin but felt as if they were in the eye of a hurricane. They could
not imagine how anyone could pull off such a maneuver in this kind of situation.
Alan climbed down from the Firefly's armored cabin to inform
the group of what was about to happen. "Listen to me very carefully,"
he said, raising his voice above the roar of the fire. "Thunderbird
Two is ready to transport your friend to the hospital."
Shelley slowly raised her right hand. "I guess that's me,"
she said weakly. "I'm the sick member, Shelley."
Alan spoke briskly. "Okay, Shelley, when Thunderbird Two
lowers the pod, I want you to get into the bed and lie there. Try not to
move or talk, all right?" Shelley nodded her head in agreement. Alan
then looked at Sam and said, "Could you go with he and keep her comforted?"
"Of course. My friend Reggie here is a nursing student. He can
help, too."
"Great. I'll get the pod here now." He radioed Virgil. "Thunderbird
Two from Firefly. Lower the pod now."
"F.A.B." Virgil pulled a lever on his control panel, lowering
the escape pod. Within a minute the pod was on the ground.
"Mobile Control from Thunderbird Two. Emergency escape pod
has made contact with the ground. Am ready to raise the pod with three
passengers."
Scott was monitoring the situation. "Right, Virgil. Alan, I want
you to bring the other two people to the ranger station immediately to
ensure that all five are safe and sound."
"Okay, Scott. I'm on the way." Alan got everyone's names.
"Lainie, Eric - I want you two to come with me to the ranger station."
"Yes, sir," Eric responded. "Come on, Lainie."
Lainie yelled to Sam. "Get her safely away, big brother!"
"No problem, sis."
As Lainie and Eric boarded the Firefly, the pod with Sam, Shelley,
and Reggie was moving up into Thunderbird Two. In seconds all five
were safely out of danger.
Ironically, at that moment rain began to fall on the entire area. By
a miracle of Mother Nature the fire was completely out before it could
do more damage to the park. In the ranger station, Chief Ranger Wallace
was so excited to see raindrops. "This is fantastic! Our first real rainstorm
in over a one-and-a-half months. It's what we needed!"
Scott and Brains were pleased at the end results of the rescue mission
and shook hands to congratulate each other for the success. Brains said,
"Whew. What a b-break for us, huh?"
"You're not kidding," Scott said in relief. "Now all
we have to do is pray that Shelley is going to make it to the hospital
in time."
"I have faith," said Wallace. "Shelley's made it this
far with a high heart rate, and she doesn't sound like a quitter. Let's
hope she'll be all right."
Virgil requested the Birmingham Medical Center to have the emergency
room ready for Shelley, and minutes later Thunderbird Two touched
down in the hospital's hurriedly cleared car park.
Sam and Reggie followed the paramedics as they swiftly wheeled Shelley
into the main elevator and quickly went up to the third floor.
Virgil, still at the controls of the giant transporter, received a message
from Scott. "Lainie and Eric are safe here at the ranger station;
I'll shortly be bringing them to the hospital in Thunderbird One.
In the meantime, please return here to pick up Alan and Firefly,
and then head for base."
"F.A.B., Scott. I'm on my way."
At the ranger station, Lainie and Eric joined Scott and Brains, ready
to board Thunderbird One. Before leaving, though, Lainic remembered
something very important. "Shouldn't we call Shelley's mom back in
Montgomery to let her know that Shelley's here in the hospital?"
Brains agreed. "T-That's a good point. It's vital to her that her m-mother
be by her side."
Scott came up with an easy solution. "Chief Ranger Wallace, please
call Shelley's mother and inform her that Thunderbird One will pick
her up and take to the hospital. Lainie has the number."
As the ranger
began dialing Scott tumed to Lainie. "Is there a place close enough
to your house that's big enough for my aircraft to land? A car park or
playing field, say?"
"Well, there's the high school's practice football field, not too
far from her house."
"That should be fine." They began filing out the station.
Scott waved to the ranger. "Goodbye, Chief Ranger. Thanks for your
help."
Wallace smiled. "Thank you," he said.
Twenty minutes later, having safely delivered Mrs. Berndon to the hospital,
Thunderbird One took for Tracy Island once more, keeping the secret
identities of the Intemational Rescue members safe.
Mrs. Berndon waited anxiously with Shelley's friends for word of her
condition.
Finally, Doctor Carl Crossen, a cardiologist, came out to say
something. "Mrs. Berndon?"
"Yes, Doctor?"
"I have some good news. Your daughter Shelley is going to be all
right."
Everyone had a huge sigh of relief when they discovered the news.
"Oh, thank you, Doctor," exclaimed Mrs. Berndon. "Is
there any word on what exactly happened?"
"I'm afraid not at the moment, but I can tell that her blood pressure
was dangerously low. Her heart rate was up to 204 beats per minute, but
we were able to bring the rate down to 90. She'll be all right, but we
have to keep her here for two days' observation. Will you stay here and
help keep a close eye on her?"
"Yes, doctor, I want to be with my daughter all the time."
"Okay, we'll move her to room 423 on the next floor. You can all
come along if you like."
Shelley woke up the next morning to find her friends at her side and
her mother asleep in a nearby chair.
The nurse walked in and woke Mrs. Berndon. "Ma'am, you need to
wake up. Your daughter's already awake."
"Oh," Mrs. Berndon replied sleepily. "I'm sorry."
The nurse gave Shelley breakfast and checked her vital signs to make
sure she was not having another spell. Her mother and friends were glad
to see her able to eat normally.
However, Shelly wanted to know one thing. "Does anyone know what
I have yet?"
"No," her mother said, "but we should know by later today."
Throughout the morning they all watched television and had a few laughs,
keeping Shelley on the up-and-up.
At about noon Chief Ranger Wallace walked
in with a bouquet of roses. "Hello, Shelley. How are you doing?"
She was pleasantly surprised that the ranger had come. "I feel
all right, I guess." She took the flowers from him, stared at them
for a moment, and then promptly burst into tears.
"Shelley," said her mother. "Whatever is the matter?"
She replied tearfully, "It's not because all of you are here. I'm
glad for that, but it's just the flowers and the thought of what I may
have are making me feel helpless and hopeless."
Dr. Crossen entered the room and asked Mrs. Berndon to step outside.
She did so, then closed the door and turned to the doctor. "Well, what
happened? Did she have a serious anxiety attack, or was it a heart attack?"
"Neither. Shelley has developed a condition in which one of the
ventricles in her heart has a short circuit. She may have had it from birth."
"Is it serious?"
"If she has a spell lasting too long it could be, but with the
right treatment her conditon will be nothing more than a nuisance."
"What's the name of this condition?"
Supraventricular tachycardia, or SVT for short."
"You mentioned treatment. How?"
"There are two ways. One way is by giving her two medications,
one to control the blood pressure and one to control the heart rate. The
other way is to do some electrophysiological laser surgery to fix it for
good."
"I don't trust laser surgery at the moment," Mrs. Berndon
said, "so I'll let her have the two medications."
"I agree with you. I think Shelley's too young for such an operation,
but she can resort to surgery when she's older."
"At the moment she needs something to cheer her up."
The nurse walked toward the door with a large basket of candy and more
flowers.
Mrs. Berndon knew that they were for Shelley, but she was afraid
that her daughter would become more depressed. She and the doctor followed
the nurse back into the room.
As the nurse gave the basket to Shelley, she noticed an envelope; she took it and opened it. It contained a letter, which read:
Dear Shelley Berndon,
We hope you are recovering well from your ordeal. We want to let
you know that lve care about you very much. As most people go through life
they do not encounter any trouble, and they never appreciate the value
of life. On the other hand, people like you and I who face problems and
anxieties realize how special life can really be. It 's so precious after
you go through a difficult situation. I should know, since I lost my wife.
However, I said to myself that my life will always be special because
my wife will always be a part of me. If you think you may never lead a
normal life with whatever condition you have, let me tell you something.
In my lifetime I've seen a blind person climb Mount McKinley, a deaf young
woman become Miss America, and a hockey player come back from cancer. They
wouldn't let their handicaps stop them from achieving their dreams, and
we certainly won't let your problem stop you from going on with ordinary
life. In fact, when you leave the hospital, we don't want you to
have an ordinary life. Instead, we want you to have an extraordinary
one!
Best wishes for a full recovery,
The members of International Rescue.
Shelley's eyes lit up with joy as she read the letter, and she thought
to herself, "Wherever you are and whoever you are, I'll take the
advice."
Then she noticed the postscript:
P.S. Look inside the basket for a surprise.
She did so, and she found an International Rescue patch. She was elated.
"Wow! This is too cool! I'm gonna put this on my favorite
shirt!"
Everyone cheered as her tears of sadness turned to tears of laughter.
In the end, Shelley went home to Montgomery the next day, and she was
given her two medications. Since her incredible ordeal, she has been active.
She has not made below a B average at Auburn University at Montgomery for
four straight quarters. She still goes out with her friends and has a wonderful
time. She keeps the International Rescue letter in her purse and close
to her heart. Shelley Berndon intends to live the best life anyone could
ever hope for.