admitted for emergency treatment.
Emily and I were sitting in the hallway when Mom came rushing through the doors. At first, she was furious that something
so serious had been hidden from us. Then she wrapped her arms around Emily and held her tightly.
“You tried to save him,” she said through her tears. “But you should never have had to carry something like this alone.”
Grandpa remained in the hospital for two weeks. When Emily’s nursing instructor learned about the cost of his treatment,
she organized a fundraiser.
For years, Grandpa had repaired his neighbors’ cars for free, helped struggling single mothers, and cleared snow from elderly
residents’ yards during winter.
When the community found out what had happened, they raised the entire amount needed for his treatment in only three
days.
The day Grandpa returned home, we sat together on the same couch and took another picture. This
