Ronan

If you didn't know, Ronan Thompson was a beautiful boy who died of cancer on May 9, 2011, three days before he was to turn 4. the story I found out about him was really weird, but I won't go into detail. Anyways. This kid changed my life. When I was younger, I was really...I don't know...I just didn't really think cancer was a problem. Yeah, it sucked. But I truly didn't understand how it affected other people's lives until I watched my grandmothers die from cancer, one by one. And then my great aunt, and a few cousins. I watched kids I had grown up with battle cancer and that really changes a person. There was this kid (I will never forget him) who was in my grade. Christopher Allen Brown. He was a really good friend of mine. His cousin is my mom's best friend and I call her aunt so...anyways. When we were ten years old, he had a seizure in a pool and drowned. We had talked about having awesome teachers together and moving on to middle school and eventually highschool. I made it, but without my friend. When my mom gave me the news two weeks before I started the fifth grade, I couldn't believe it. No, I REALLY couldn't believe it. I thought she was kidding. I refused to believe her outright. When I got to school the monday school started and he wasn't there, I shut down. Not in the traditional sense. But when middle school hit, I stopped caring completely. Nobody saw it coming, not even me. There were other reasons as to why I was depressed, but that was the tip of the iceberg. I cut everybody off and started blowing them off for sleep. I'm better now, but kids like Chris and Ronan and Johnathan (a little boy who died of cancer) have changed my life forever. Starting soon (hopefully) I will be volunteering at the local hospital and the animal shelter AND my dad's friend's stable. Thank you Chris, and Ronan, and Johnathan. You have made me a better person.