Making a New Friend

With the hundreds of Sailors aboard doing their part to help the people of Haiti, there are hundred of unique stories to be told every day. One of these stories a few days ago struck me in particular and I wanted to share it with you here:

Dear Beth,

Last night I gained a new friend. He is a tiny little guy on the peds ward. I was going to the ward to get some information from one of my Sailors. As I was walking around the ward to find the Sailor, a little boy with one eye (the one I told you about) came up to me. He reached up to grab my finger and started pulling me along, as if to take a walk. Some of the other patients on the ward were singing and clapping. We walked/danced over to them and joined in. He can keep a beat very well. At one point he was tapping his foot, too. The smile one his face was so beautiful. We danced and clapped for a little bit then continued walking around the nurse’s station back to his mom. One of the Nurses on the ward had a camera and took a picture of us while we were walking.

When we got to his mom, she reached out her arms and I said, in Creole to him, “tu Mama?” he clung to me tightly. Both his mom’s eyes and mine got really big. She and I both started to laugh at how wonderful it was that he was able to reach out and make a new friend despite how intimidating my 6’4” stature can be to his 2’4" one. We continued on another lap around the nurse’s station singing and dancing. We were both having a fantastic time. At one point we stopped for a bit so he could play ball with one of the other kids his size. After a few minutes of ball, we continued around and back to his mom. She reached her arms out once again and I said once again “tu Mama?” This time he went over to her and climbed into bed. I told him in good night in Creole. He climbed back out of bed, came over to me and gave me a big hug. Then he went back to bed to snuggle with his mom. Last night was his first time out of the bed since he first arrived on board, over two weeks ago.

I love you and will keep you posted on more amazing moments like this.

Love,
Derek