Sending Out a Prayer

I received a call this morning from the father of one of my students.

He has been diagnosed a brain tumour and will be having surgery on Friday.

I can't even imagine what he is feeling and what his parents are going through. I feel like I've been punched in the stomach and all the air has been sucked out of my lungs.

He came to enroll at my school this past summer with the dream of becoming a filmmaker. He showed me a documentary he made about animal abuse. It was a little project that he did on his own - it wasn't for school or anything. He made the film because he was passionate about the subject. It was simple and powerful and I knew he had what it takes to make it in the industry.

He was concerned that he wouldn't be able to keep up with the other students, due to a learning disability. I assured him that as long as he attended classes, asked lots of questions, and was committed to doing the work, he would be fine.

He's definitely one of our hardest working students. He's always early for classes while most of the other students are late or absent. He's always the first one to step up for the crappy jobs like gaffer or grip while the other students are busy spouting about their directorial genius to anyone who'll listen. He's always got a smile on his face while the rest of the students are miserable.

He is just two weeks from graduation. And when I spoke with him on the phone this morning, his main concern was not letting his classmates down on the final project they are shooting this week. I assured him he wasn't letting anyone down and that his main job now was to fight and get better.

His concern for his fellow classmates is a true testament to what an amazing young man he is. He has faced ridicule from those same classmates who didn't understand he has a learning disability. He is truly a special and wonderful person.

He really wants to be at the ceremony on April 17th. I told him if his doctors okay it, then certainly there's no place else we'd want him to be. We all want to help celebrate his achievements.

I really believe in the power of prayer and good vibes. So I'm asking all of you to send some his way, especially on Friday.