Be forewarned, it's full of holiday mush.
Beth
The Little Girl Who Dared to Wish
As Amy Hagadorn rounded the corner across the hall from
her classroom, she collided with a tall boy from the fifth
grade running in the opposite direction.
"Watch it, Squirt," the boy yelled, as he dodged around
the little third grader. Then, with a smirk on his face,
the boy took hold of his right leg and mimicked the way Amy
limped when she walked.
Amy closed her eyes for a moment.
Ignore him, she told herself as she headed for her
classroom.
But at the end of the day, Amy was still thinking about
the tall boy's mean teasing. It wasn't as if he were the
only one. It seemed that ever since Amy started the third
grade, someone teased her every single day. Kids teased her
about her speech or her limping. Amy was tired of it.
Sometimes, even in a classroom full of other students, the
teasing made her feel all alone.
Back home at the dinner table that evening Amy was
quiet. Her mother knew that things were not going well at
school. That's why Patti Hagadorn was happy to have some
exciting news to share with her daughter.
"There's a Christmas Wish Contest on the radio
station," Amy's mom announced. "Write a letter to Santa and
you might win a prize. I think someone at this table with
blond curly hair should enter."
Amy giggled. The contest sounded like fun. She
started thinking about what she wanted most for Christmas.
A smile took hold of Amy when the idea first came to
her. Out came pencil and paper and Amy went to work on her
letter. "Dear Santa Claus," she began.
While Amy worked away at her best printing, the rest of
the family tried to guess what she might ask from Santa.
Amy's sister, Jamie, and Amy's mom both thought a 3-foot
Barbie Doll would top Amy's wish list. Amy's dad guessed a
picture book. But Amy wasn't ready to reveal her secret
Christmas wish just then. Here is Amy's letter to Santa,
just as she wrote it that night:
Dear Santa Claus,
My name is Amy. I am 9 years old. I have a problem at
school. Can you help me, Santa? Kids laugh at me because of
the way I walk and run and talk. I have cerebral palsy. I
just want one day where no one laughs at me or makes fun of
me.
Love,
Amy
At radio station WJLT in Fort Wayne, Indiana, letters
poured in for the Christmas Wish Contest. The workers had
fun reading about all the different presents that boys and
girls from across the city wanted for Christmas.
When Amy's letter arrived at the radio station, manager
Lee Tobin read it carefully. He knew cerebral palsy was a
muscle disorder that might confuse the schoolmates of Amy
who didn't understand her disability. He thought it would
be good for the people in Fort Wayne to hear about this
special third grader and her unusual wish. Mr. Tobin called
up the local newspaper.
The next day, a picture of Amy and her letter to Santa
made the front page of The News Sentinel. The story spread
quickly. All across the country, newspapers and radio and
television stations reported the story of the little girl in
Fort Wayne, Indiana, who asked for such a simple, yet
remarkable, Christmas gift-- just one day without teasing.
Suddenly the postman was a regular at the Hagadorn
house. Envelopes of all sizes addressed to Amy arrived daily
from children and adults all across the nation. They came
filled with holiday greetings and words of encouragement.
During that unforgettable Christmas season, over two
thousand people from all over the world sent Amy letters of
friendship and support. Amy and her family read every
single one. Some of the writers had disabilities; some had
been teased as children. Each writer had a special message
for Amy. Through the cards and letters from strangers, Amy
glimpsed a world full of people who truly cared about each
other. She realized that no amount or form of teasing could
ever make her feel lonely again.
Many people thanked Amy for being brave enough to speak
up. Others encouraged her to ignore teasing and to carry her
head high. Lynn, a sixth grader from Texas, sent this
message:
"I would like to be your friend," she wrote, "and if
you want to visit me, we could have fun. No one would make
fun of us, cause, if they do, we will not even hear them."
Amy did get her wish of a special day without teasing
at South Wayne Elementary School. Additionally, everyone at
school got an added bonus. Teachers and students talked
together about how bad teasing can make others feel.
That year, the Fort Wayne mayor officially proclaimed
December 21st as Amy Jo Hagadorn Day throughout the city.
The mayor explained that by daring to make such a simple
wish, Amy taught a universal lesson.
"Everyone," said the mayor, "wants and deserves to be
treated with respect, dignity and warmth."
by Alan D. Shultz
from Chicken Soup for the Kid's Soul
Copyright 1998 by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Patty
Hansen and Irene Dunlap
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