Scott's Gift

Hello my name is Jane and this is my older brother Scott.

“Hello,” he is very pleased to meet you!

Scott is a little different from other boys his age because he has special needs. Although he can’t use his hands or feet very well. He can walk and talk and he goes to school just like you and me!

In the winter, Scott loves to go riding on the snowmobiles and watch the children play in the snow. In the summer, Scott loves to play softball with other people just as special as he is and even plays with my older sister Linda.

Sometimes, as a family we would pack up some clothes and food and head north to go camping. Scott loves to camp and ride his bike, while Linda and I would try to catch up. When we get back to the campsite, we would eat hotdogs that had been roasted over the campfire!! Yum!!!

One thing that Scott loves to do is play golf and watch sports on TV. His favorite sport is Hockey though I like college football. We always play a bit of floor hockey in our large basement.

“Watch out for the Christmas Ornaments,” Dad would always say.

Scott and I would always laugh and continue to play, even as our mom who was a teacher was hard at work on her classes. Boy, we had a lot of fun back in our childhood days!

Years later, Scott and I even went to the same high school and he graduated a year earlier than me in his favorite place!! A hockey arena!

One day, eight years after he graduated, Scott couldn’t walk anymore and needed surgery on his neck. The Doctors saved him but he would never walk again but that didn’t stop Scotty!! Look at him go in his brand new wheelchair!! VROOM!!!

He always ran into walls but was quick to say he was sorry and that he loved being a part of our family!! He always had a special gift for making us laugh!

Because of his special needs, he would have caretakers come and help mom and dad take care of him. Aaron, Jyl and Angela who would help him get dressed, bathe and feed him. Despite his special needs he always made people laugh.

“I love you, Scott!” I would always remark as I headed off to college and then later to work as an Elementary teacher.

“When will you be back?” Scott would always ask me as I walked out the door to my parents’ house.”

“I’ll be back soon!” I replied often as I drove off to work not wanting to leave him or my parents behind.

Then one day I got the call as my class was at lunch that Scott has gotten sick and was not going to make it. I rushed home as soon as I could to comfort Mom and Dad who were very sad, just as I was.

“There’s nothing we can do for him,” The Doctors all said, “It’s a matter of time before he passes.”

Through tears we knew it couldn’t be true as we saw Scott lying on the bed all with tubes that made him black and blue. However, as a family we knew just what to do.

“We’ll give people the gift of life!” We all cried, as the hospital staff waited for his time, “That way he can still be with us in spirit all the time.”

The pastor agreed and soon we decided that to share Scott’s special gift with others.

Though we said our goodbyes and Scott had left us in spirit and body, his life still goes on in the gift that survives. His organs are now found in others, who now share the gift that Scott had brought to our lives.

The gift of laughter and life and that is how Scott still survives.