Something Special for Jimmy

Jimmy Taylor was a sweet little boy. He always smiled and made others laugh, despite the terrible heart condition he'd had from birth.
Even though Jimmy could not get out and play ball and do many of the things other children could do, he was very faithful to God and church. His parents were anxiously waiting and praying for a heart donor.
They were both in despair. They knew that their special gift from God would not last if God did not intervene and get him a heart transplant. At times their faith would begin to slip. They put the situation in God's hands, as they knew that was all they could do.
With Christmas quickly approaching, Jimmy's parents tried to think of anything they could to get Jimmy for Christmas. They wanted this Christmas to be the best Christmas ever for little Jimmy.
Jimmy's father was Reverend John Taylor. One Saturday evening, Rev. Taylor went to the church he pastored to ensure everything was secure. He quickly noticed a dog lying in the street; she had been severely wounded. Mr. Taylor managed to move the wounded dog from the highway and did all he could for her, but despite all his efforts, the dog died a few minutes later.
When he started to leave, he heard a strange sound coming from under the steps. He stooped down to see if he could find what it was. To his surprise, he saw one little, lovely, cold, hungry puppy. Mr. Taylor quickly tucked him under his coat and took him home.
Since the next day was Christmas, Jimmy slipped out of bed early before anyone else got up. He went downstairs, fed the puppy, tied a big red ribbon around his neck, and then took him to the garage and waited for Jimmy to come downstairs.
Finally, about 8:30 a.m., Jimmy came down, unwrapped all the beautiful packages, gave his mom and dad a big hug, and assumed that was all.
Dad left the room and, a moment later, returned with Jimmy's Special Gift. John called to him from the kitchen. " Jimmy, would you come here for a minute?" When he got to the doorway, he put the puppy in Jimmy's arms. Tears filled the little boy's eyes; he was overwhelmed.
Now, the pup had a wonderful boy to Love and take care of him, and Jimmy had a new friend.
"What should we name him?" Asked Mr. Taylor. After looking him over for a few moments, Jimmy said, "I think I'll name him Duke."
One week later, the family got another wonderful surprise. The hospital had found a heart donor for Jimmy. The operation was a big success. Now Jimmy and Duke would have many years to spend together.

Author Notes: Something Special for Jimmy was posted in loving memory of my mother, Shelia Kathryn Hackney, the original author. I hope you enjoy this short story. May this short but powerful story bring comfort, hope, and peace to others who may be anxiously awaiting a transplant. Please feel free to contact me with any comments or suggestions for additions or improvements, and let me know if you like the story. You can contact me at [email protected]. Thanks for reading!

Recommend Write a ReviewReport