Emanuel's Dream

Emanuel's Dream

Juvenile biography
"In Ghana, West Africa, a baby boy was born.
Two bright eyes blinked in the light,
two healthy lungs let out a powerful cry,
two tiny fists opened and closed,
but only one strong leg kicked."
Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, protagonist of Laurie Ann Thompson's
Emmanuel's Dream, was born into a world of trouble. An orthopedic
defect that would have brought in specialists in an American hospital
was viewed by people in his neighborhood as evidence of uselessness or
even a curse. His father walked out.
His mother, Comfort, believed in him, naming him Emmanuel, which
means "God is with us." She carried him to school until he was too
heavy. He managed on his own, hopping two miles each way. He even
learned to play soccer and ride a bike.
When Emmanuel was thirteen he had to drop out of school and work
in a city over a hundred miles away. His mother was too sick to
work. There were two younger siblings.
Despite all he had going against him Emmanuel had a big dream.
He wanted to show the world that disabled is not the same as unable.
On a personal note, I am having a great weekend. The weather is
perfect: sunny, breezy, good sleeping nights. Yesterday I got my
embroidery floss organized for easy access. Today I went to church
and got to take home lots of cherries, blueberries, melon, kiwi, and
strawberries for reading snacks. Eugene and I went for a drive. I
got a real University of Maine Teddy bear in a free pile. Eugene
bought subs. No cooking tonight. Yowza! A good book, a sub, an ice
pop. Who could ask for more?
Oh, yeah, Joey cat's check up. He passed with flying colors. He's so
much happier after his shave. They call it a lion cut because his
head and front legs are still furry. He looks adorable.
A great big shout out goes out to my church family, Eugene, and the VZ
Vet crew.
jules hathaway


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