Ten years ago, a courageous boy was born into a loving and strong family. This year the same young boy died on the twenty-third of August. The disease that affected him and his loved ones is known as terminal brain cancer. His name was Brian D'Angelo and 'till this day he remains a hero in my heart.
Brian D'Angelo was born on the 31st of July. He was welcomed into the world by his older sister, Jessica Lynn, his mother Noreen, and his father, Tom D'Angelo. These loving people took care of him as they held his hand throughout his journey of suffering. Everone who crossed Brians' path, especially his grandparents and great-grandmother, cherished Brian. Brian was very popular in his surrounding environment. He was a friend to all and welcomed everyone into his heart, and as he grw more ill we learned that he was not only Brian D'Angelo; he was a hero.
Heroes are extremely hard to find. You can look in a book or in a movie, but can you find one in reality? Brian D'Angelo is my hero. He is a boy of courage, honesty, and a golden heart. His heart never got cold; it was always so warm and welcoming. He was always full of happiness and did the best he could to take part in his environment. Brian lived for his family and his friends, but God saw him getting tired and took him away from us. I realized that God only did this to prove to us that Brian is the best, because God only takes the best. Brian is the best! He would always make everyone's day brighter. When it would rain I wouldn't care because I knew Brian was there. Now that Brian has passed away and I see the sun now, I think of him and realize that I would not be the person I am today without ever meeting him. Brian was not a fictional hero; he was reality. He is my hero.
Brian was not only a hero, he was also a teacher. He was very brave amd taught me to take risks and cherish all things. While Brian was with us, one of his favorite sports was baseball. When he was first diagnosed with terminal brain cancer he was deprived of any sport where he could damage his brain more then it is was already damaged. Brian didn't care what the doctor said and took the risk of hurting himself even more in order to do something he loved. He never let anyone tell him no because of his disease. Brian would be as stubborn as a mule and would take the disease face to face like a wrestler fights his opponent. He knew he only had a short time to live so he made sure he cherished all things.
It always seemed like his first priority was family, especially his sister Jessica Lynn. Jessica would take him for walks in his wheelchair and you could tell how much he enjoyed it by the sounds he made. Brian considered Jessica not only his sister, but as his best friend. He knew that his family loved him and he cherished the fact that he had one of the best families in the world. Brian taught me to love my family through rough times and to take risks when I need to. Thanks to Brian I enjoy life now more than ever.
In summation, as tears fell from my eyes and still do, I think of Brian and his smiling face and remember all he has taught me. When he left the world and I, I remembered him not only as a sick boy, but as a hero.
Page created on 8/28/2005 12:00:00 AM
Last edited 8/28/2005 12:00:00 AM