Johnny wanted to let his friends know what has been up with him, just as his sister, Ronee', did earlier.
Hello, folks! (Sounds like something out of a "Bugs Bunny" cartoon, doesn't it?? LOL)
This is Johnny Sandusky, and I have been having fun this summer. We went to Alaska back in April for two weeks (that was too cool; I got to see things I had never seen before, and I got to ride on a cruise ship, and I also got to see mama's friend, Jenna, and her husband-to-be, Michael; they were very nice!), and in May, we got to go to the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival, like we do every year (my sister, Ronee', performed there, and she did good!). We were going to go to the CMA Music Festival (it used to be called Fan Fair), but we had to miss it this year because of some storms that damaged our house. We had to stay at a shelter for a few weeks until our house could be repaired, and that was a bummer, but at least that is all behind us now, and it is like we have a new house! We had damage to our roof and to some of the rooms from the wild winds, and it was SCARY! I hope NEVER to have something like that happen again! (This coming from a guy who loves tornadoes and severe weather...LOL)
And we had our half birthday party on June 26, and other than Ronee' ending up in the hospital (thanks to an encounter with a bee; she is allergic to bees, and if she gets stung, she gets very sick in a hurry and has trouble breathing), she still got out in time before the party, and we had a lot of fun. We got a lot of nice things, and we had lots of people come over. We then went to the Fourth of July Festival here in Nashville, at Centennial Park, and we had fun, but then another storm came up and ruined Ronee' 's set, so she couldn't perform. She was mad about that, but she got over it. She did get to sing before the fireworks, though, so that made up for it. We saw the biggest fireworks display ever here in Nashville, and it went on for a good half hour, forty five minutes. By the time the last firework burst, my ears were ringing from the noise, and my hearing aids were really squealing! It was cool!
Next month, I go to my muscular dystrophy camp; I go every year, and it is put on by the local chapter of the Muscular Dystrophy Association. I enjoy my time at camp because I get to spend time with all my friends, and we get to forget about our sickness or all the medical problems that we often face as a result of our disease, and we get to act like "normal" kids for once. We swim, we go on nature hikes, we do arts and crafts, we tell ghost stories and roast marshmallows, and we just generally have the time of our lives. But afterwards, it always turns sad because it often ends up that the next time we have camp, there are campers who are missing because they either got worse, or they died, and that is always upsetting.
And in September, I will be busy with the Muscular Dystrophy Telethon. We will be involved with that over Labor Day weekend, and then I will start school, where I will be in the fifth grade.
I have been doing okay with my health. That is, I have my bad days, and I also have my good days. Some days I can get by with no problems, and there are other days where I feel as weak as a kitten, and I need help. My breathing hasn't been too bad, but I am still on my oxygen, and the hot, humid days are the worst; it takes so much out of me, and so on the hot, humid days I have to stay in, with the air conditioning, and try to amuse myself by watching Nickolodeon on TV or playing my video games, or playing with my remote-control HUMMER. I haven't had too many seizures, but I have had some; but none to where I have had to go to the hospital, thank goodness. Still, they are upsetting, and after a seizure, I am always so sore and tired all I want to do is sleep! (Which is what I usually end up doing; after a seizure, I sleep for several hours, and then I am usally fine.)
I don't know what the future will bring, but I am hoping that a cure for MD will be found while I am still alive, and I also hope that our world becomes peaceful again. I am so tired of hearing of terror threats or violence, and I am so tired of hearing of the Americans getting killed or hurt in Iraq! I wish we could get out of there; we don't need to be there, especially if the war is supposed to have ended!
I will write soon, I don't know when, but when I think of it, I will write! Until then, this is Johnny signing off! Take care, and God bless!
Love, your pal, Johnny (Johnathon) Irwin Allen Denver-Sandusky, aged 11 1/2.
Written on Friday, July 30, 2004, at 10:42 A.M., C.S.T.
Winner of two 2020 Royal Dragonfly Book Awards in the Ebooks Category:
Best Illustrations: 2nd Place
Picture Books Ages 6 and Older: Honorable Mention
Can a bee-eating German Shepherd stop his bad habits to earn his heavenly rewards? Find out
Hello, folks! (Sounds like something out of a "Bugs Bunny" cartoon, doesn't it?? LOL)
