I saw the child the other day.  What I saw broke my heart in two.  A little boy no older than the age of 11 wrapped up head to toe like a little mummy, limbs held in the air, fingers and toes held apart by pins.  Some kind of cream smeared on his burned face, giving it a shiny appearance.  Body swollen to twice its normal size.  IVs, monitors, tubes in him everywhere, a respirator breathing for him.  Even though the child has been given powerful pain-killing drugs, you can clearly see he is still feeling serious pain. 

His mother sits in the hall, wondering, praying, hoping, worrying about what the future will hold for her son.  I have since found out his name:  Caden.  Caden Drew Bollinger.  The mother's name is Julie.  You can tell that life hasn't been kind to her:  even though she is in her forties, she looks at least sixty.  Julie tells me her son has lived with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy all of his life:  he has never walked or talked.  She was his primary caretaker, will continue to be so if her son manages to survive the burns.

Caden has often been the target of bullies who don't understand his disabilities.  They think that because his body doesn't work, then his mind doesn't work either.  They've picked on him since kindergarten; he had very few friends.  To see him sitting in his wheelchair, drooling uncontrollably, or making noises (his way of communication) frightened people or caused them to stare or point at him.

Caden's father left Julie and her son when he'd been born:  he couldn't cope with the fact that his child was born disabled.  They've been on their own ever since, trying to make a way in this world.

Now this.

Caden will need surgeries and therapy services for many years to come.  Even with surgery, he will be left scarred, not only physically, but emotionally:  I am sure this will effect him for the rest of his life, as he remembers the pain, the torture, the torment he suffered.

As for the hoodlums who did this, they are now staying at a maximum security prison with hardened criminals; there is no chance for parole for them for at least 20 years or so.  They will probably have to do some sort of community service as a way to make them think of what they'd done to this little handicapped boy. 

Law officials have deemed these kids "extremely dangerous"; this is why they had to take such drastic action, to protect other children from becoming future Cadens, from being burned or attacked at will, simply because the perpetraters "had nothing better to do".

I have added little Caden Drew Bollinger to my prayer list; I have even asked my church to pray for him.  I have taken a shine to him, and I think of what I might do if this were my grandchild.  I don't think I could handle it; my heart absolutely breaks for Julie and Caden as they deal with this terrible event in their lives (and will be dealing with it for the rest of their lives).

I will go now; I am going to go to the store, get something for Caden to enjoy when he is well enough.  I want to be there for him, as well as Julie, his mother, to show them that I truly care for them, even though I have only met them last week.  I will then go to the hospital to see Caden and his mother and continue to lift this special child up to Heaven, asking God to grant him the miracle he so desperately needs.

*To be continued.*