Anthony Hickey is a great kid...great story

Anthony is a really good kid, even if he has some trouble being on time and organized (the stuff that gets him into trouble).

Some of you may have already seen this article, if not take a look:

LINK

I'm pretty sure he'd be very nervous about this, but I'm glad JJ took him to the school.

Something else about Anthony that a lot of you won't know about, is his special relationship with a young wheelchair-bound boy in Ascension Parish. This kid has severe Cerebral Palsy and can hardly speak. There is nothing wrong with his intellect. I posted about it in spring, so apologies to all that read it before.

My husband and I help out in a special needs kids inclusion league.This league plays Tball. Each spring, some of the men's basketball team come to Ascension Parish and help the kids play with the final T ball game of the season. The team hands out the trophies at the end. These children have all kinds of different disabilities.

Anthony was paired with the boy with CP on 3rd base (each child "plays" a fielding position even if they can't actually do it). The boy couldn't verbally communicate with Anthony, but that didn't stop Anthony from talking to him. He realized that the kid could understand him fine. Many people would feel awkward in this situation, and wouldn't know how to approach it.

I watched as Anthony held this little boy's hand throughout their times fielding 3rd base. After the game he spontaneously gave him his LSU shirt, which made the boy's Mom cry.

Anthony became the child's hero.

In summer (after I posted the above story) This child had to have surgery to cut his Achilles tendons, which had shortened due to being wheelchair bound for years. Dr's did this to enable him to use his legs to stand up in a standing frame. Anthony was told, and he decided to go visit him. This he did. I was there. He and the boy watched Spongebob Square pants on TV together (LOL). This was very special time for the kid, as you can imagine.

Later in the summer, Anthony gave him a SpongeBob clock for his room.

This child has been in Physical Therapy to help him strengthen his legs. This is very difficult and painful. The therapists and his Mom urge him on with "would Anthony Hickey give up?", which apparently works.

The kid now watches LSU basketball on TV/computer. My husband and I are working on arrangements for him to attend a practice. His Mom thinks a game in the PMac would be too overwhelming.

I apologize for this being a very long post, but I hope you've been able to read to the end.

BTW Johnny Jones and Andre Stringer jumped right in without awkwardness at the Tball game.