
            ,A ,,"M'S ,,/ORY
            0,LORETTA ,:ITE

  ,-+ 6T]MS )! FACT T YR * IS BL & IS
GO+ 6/AY T WAY IS P]H "O (! MO/ DI6ICULT
*ALL5GES A P>5T C FACE4 ,"! >E AT F/ !
T]RIFY+ "QS3 ,DOES %E LIVE 9 A _W (
D>K;S8 ,C %E G 6S*OOL8 ,C %E 2 HAPPY8
,:AT W HAPP5 6H] :5 ,I DIE8 ,^! >E ! "QS
,LORETTA ,:ITE1 N[ A L1D] 9 ! ,N,NAL
,F$],N (! ,BL'S P>5TS ORGANIZ,N1 _H 6D1L
) :5 %E LE>N$ H] DAU<T] ,NIKI 0 BL4 ,"H
IS :AT %E SAYS3
  ,MY "N IS ,LORETTA ,:ITE1 & ,I LIVE 9
,M>YL& ) MY HUSB& & F\R *N4 ,_! AGES >E
SIXTE51 SIX1 ALM FIVE1 & ALM ?REE4 ,I AM
AL A LIC5S$ "D C>E PROVID]1 S MO/ ( MY
"T IS SP5T )& >.D *N4
  ,MY DAU<T] ,NIKI W 2 FIVE 9 ,NOVEMB]4
,NIKI HAS BE5 TOT,Y BL S9CE BIR?4 ,X'S
MO/ LIKELY DUE 6RET9OPA?Y ( PREMATUR;Y1
B S9CE %E 0 ADOPT$ F ,9DIA1 WE DON'T "K
= SURE4 ,NIKI CAME HOME F ,9DIA :5 %E 0
FIVE MON?S OLD4
  ,WE TOOK H] 6A P$IATRICIAN =A *ECK-UP
A C\PLE ( "DS AF WE GOT H]4 ,HE TOLD U T
H] EYES DIDN'T LOOK Q "R1 S HE WANT$ U
6H H] *ECK$ 0AN EYE DOCTOR4 ,! DOCTOR HE
S5T U 6DIDN'T D *N1 S ALL HE DID 0 TAKE
A QK LOOK & TELL U T1 YES1 %E HAS
CAT>ACTS2 HE !N REF]R$ U 6A P$IATRIC
OPH?ALMOLOGI/4
  ,I TOOK ,NIKI 6! APPO9T;T 0MYF :ILE MY
HUSB& WAT*$ ! O!R *N4 ,I 0 EXPECT+ 6H H]
SE5 & !N S*$UL$ = CAT>ACT SURG]Y4 ,I
SP5T ! 5TIRE "D "!4
  ,! DOCTOR _H A WOND];L REPUT,N1 B ,I
QKLY F.D \ 9 ! WAIT+ ROOM T HE _H !
B$SIDE MANN] ( ,ATTILA ! ,HUN4 ,I 0
PRETTY N]V\S 62G9 )4 ,ONCE ! TE*NICIANS
_H EXAM9$ H] EYES1 D"O _! TE/S )! DROPS1
& -PLET$ ! SONOGRAMS & :AT N1 ! DOCTOR
CAME 9 & QKLY LOOK$ AT H] EYES4
  ,!N1 )! SAME DEM1NOR "O MI<T USE 6-;T
ON ! W1!R1 HE TOLD ME T MY DAU<T]'S BL;S
0 TOTAL & P]MAN5T4 ,I'M SURE HE M/ H R1D
! LOOK ON MY FACE & R1LIZ$ T ,I _H N
"KN4
  ,!N HE A4$1 8,WELL1 X'S N T BAD4 ,X'S
L A ,H]%EY B>4 ,IF Y'VE N"E EAT5
*OCOLATE 2F1 Y WDN'T MISS X 2C Y C'T
MISS :AT Y N"E _H40 ,!N1 AF A C\PLE (
M9UTES ( V UNCOM=TA# SIL;E1 HE GAVE ME !
"N (A DOCTOR :O MI<T TRY "S H]OIC
SURG]Y1 WI%$ ME LUCK1 & LEFT ! ROOM4 ,I
N"E SAW T DOCTOR AG4
  ,"SH[ ,I COLLECT$ MYF & MY BABY & MADE
! H\R-&-A HALF DRIVE BACK 6MY HOME4 ,X
TOOK ME A L;G "T 6=GIVE 8 BRUTAL H"O/Y1
B ,I W N"E =GET X4 ,ON T AFN ,I WD RE,Y
H APPRECIAT$ "S -PAS.N4 ,AL ,I DID N
APPRECIATE ! 2LITTL+ ( MY *'S 3DI;N4
,?+S CD ALW 2 WORSE1 B S :AT8 ,"R N[ !Y
FEEL AW;L4
  ,WE W5T "? ANG] AT ! DOCTORS & AL AT !
ADOP;N AG5CY :O _H PLAC$ H]4 ,F :AT WE 7
LAT] TOLD1 ANY"O :O EXAM9$ H] %D H SE5 !
DETA*$ RET9A & SC> TISSUE MASS4 ,& YET
WE _H PAP]"W T SD %E _H AN EYE EXAM9,N &
T H] EYES 7 9 GD 3DI;N4 ,"K+ PROBABLY
WDN'T H *ANG$ \R M9DS AB H]1 B WE
C]TA9LY CD H BE5 PREP>$ & AVOID$ ! %OCK4
  ,WE AL TRI$ ! H]OIC SURG]Y4 ,WE TOOK
H] 6A DOCTOR 9 ,T5;SEE :O _H _H "S
SU3ESS AT REATTA*+ RET9AS4 ,WE PUT \RVS
9 DEBT MU/]+ UP ! F9.ES 6MAKE ?REE TRIPS
6,T5;SEE 7TWO = SURG]IES & "O =A *ECK-
UP74
  ,WE DID ALL ? "K+ 9ITI,Y T H] *.ES (
REGA9+ ANY USA# SI<T 7 LESS ?AN T5
P]C5T4 ,B AT T "T WE 7 S F"R5$ ( BL;S WE
7 WILL+ 6TRY ALM ANY?+4
  ,2F ,NIKI CAME 96MY LIFE1 ,I _H
VIRTU,Y NO EXP]I;E ) BL;S4 ,! ONLY BL
P]SON ,I _H "E "KN 0 ,TAMMY1 :O LIV$ ACR
! /REET F MY FAMILY =A %ORT :ILE :5 ,I 0
SIX4
  ,I C / SEE ? EI<T-YE>-OLD GIRL 9 MY
M9D4 ,ALL %E "E DID 0 SIT & ROCK1 "S"TS
POK+ AT H] EYES4 ,H] SPEE* 3SI/$ MO/LY (
REPETI;NS ( :AT %E _H J HE>D4 ,%E N"E
PLAY$ )! O!R KIDS OR EV5 W5T 6S*OOL4 ,%E
J SAT & ROCK$4 ,Z Y C IMAG9E1 T MEMORY
HAUNT$ ME =A :ILE AF WE F.D \ ,NIKI 0
BL4
  ,IF ! ONLY EXP]I;E Y'VE _H ) BL;S IS
SEE+ A MAN BE7+ ON A C;Y /REET1 Y'RE
H>DLY GO+ 6FEEL EXCIT$ AB YR *'S FUTURE4
,& IF ! P>5T DOESN'T H A POSITIVE IMAGE
( BL;S1 H[ C ! * HOPE 6DEVELOP A
POSITIVE SELF-IMAGE8
  ,Z WE 2GAN 6D1L ) BL;S1 WE 7 FULL (
"QS4 ,WE WOND]$ :AT *N ) LL OR NO SI<T
>E RE,Y L4 ,D !Y LIVE 9 A _W ( D>K;S8 ,D
!Y GR[ & DEVELOP L O!R *N8 ,": D !Y G
6S*OOL8 ,D BL P "E GET M>RI$8 ,H[ D !Y
E>N A LIV+8 ,C !Y 2 HAPPY8 ,C !Y LIVE
9DE-P5D5TLY8 ,:AT W HAPP5 6MY * :5 ,I
DIE8
  ,:5 WE F9,Y DECID$ ,NIKI 0 GO+ 6/AY
BL1 WE 2GAN 6LOOK = HELP4 ,I MADE A =M
LR REQUE/+ 9=M,N & S5T X "EY":4 ,!N "O
"D ,I GOT A PH"O CALL F ! ,N,NAL ,F$],N
(! ,BL4 ,? 0 A TURN+ PO9T = ME &= MY
DAU<T] ,NIKI4
  ,"? ! ,F$],N ,I H MET SU3ESS;L BL
9DIVIDUALS F ALL WALKS ( LIFE & F ALL
OV] ! C.TRY4 ,0OBS]V+ & 9T]ACT+ ) ^! P1
,I H BE5 A# 6REVISE MY P]CEP;NS ( BL;S4
,R1D+ AB X 9 A BOOK W T1* Y 9 YR H1D1 B
0LIV+ X1 Y LE>N X 9 YR HE>T4
  ,*N LE>N :AT !Y LIVE4 ,I WANT MY * 6"K
9 H] HE>T T %E C 2 SU3ESS;L & 9DEP5D5T
2C %E HAS GR[N UP WAT*+ SU3ESS;L &
9DEP5D5T BL ADULTS >.D H]4
























