I am riding in memory of Maddie Savoie, who was my next door neighbor.  In August of 2006, Maddie was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma, a bone cancer. For the next two years and two months, Maddie was the epitome of courage and guts, taking everything the disease, and the accompanying treatments, threw at her. I never once heard her complain, or never once saw her waver. As you see in the picture, her smile was omnipresent. Her parents, Ernie and Kristen, were the epitome of the phrase "grace under pressure." They did everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, to help Maddie during those months. Maddie also has an older brother, Michael; and two younger brothers, William and Thomas.  While the younger ones were still young enough not to grasp what was happening, Michael knew how sick his little sister was, and he had to take on things that most young boys don't normally have to deal with.

 

Maddie was also best friends with my two daughters, as she was close in age with the two of them. The three of them had more of a sister-ship than a friendship, and that bond got even stronger during Maddie's illness. When Maddie passed away on Thursday, October 16, 2008; my wife and I went to their school together to tell them. My oldest daughter was very quiet after we broke the news, and I finally got her to share what was on her mind. With a soft voice through moist eyes, she simply stated "She was only ten."  Just like Maddie's brothers, my two girls had to say goodbye to someone they loved at far too early an age.  Maddie will never be forgotten by either one of them, and they still smile and laugh at the memories they had throughout the 10 years they spent living side by side.

 

As an avid sports fan, I've considered people such as Bobby Orr and Carl Yastrzemski to be heroes. While that's all well and good, I learned first hand that the true heroes in this world are the doctors, nurses, research specialists and employees at Children's Hospital, and hospitals worldwide, that are caring for cancer patients and working to find a cure for this insidious disease. Your contribution, large or small, will help the true heroes of today do their jobs even better.

 

Thank you.