A Senseless Tragedy

My days in New York City were filled with desk-side briefings. I was simply asked to tell my story, to talk with the writers in the hopes that Ossur (and AmputeeMommy.com) might be referenced in a future article. My meetings were not expected to generate immediate results; I was told that it often takes 6-8 months for a written piece to materialize.

It was a huge surprise when Friday afternoon I received an exciting email. Popular Mechanics magazine promptly had written and published on-line an article discussing high tech prosthetics and TSA. It is rare that a desk-side briefing results in a full article within 48 hours.

Saturday morning, still feeling elated from the publication of the story in record time, I believed it was going to be a wonderful day. I grabbed a mug of gingerbread coffee and settled in to watch the morning news. I was numbed by the first story.

A 15 year-old boy from Scott's school was stabbed on the way home from school on Friday afternoon. He sustained a stab wound to the heart and, despite being air-lifted to a trauma center, he passed away. I began to cry when I thought about the grief stricken parents of this boy. Calling the incident "tragic" doesn't seem strong enough.

I woke up Scott and relayed the news story. The look on my husband's face when I repeated the boys name let me know that my fear had been realized. The boy that was murdered was one of Scott's students.

Miguel (Mickey) was, by most accounts, a good kid. He was a special education student who was liked by his classmates and teachers. He worked hard and was respectful. Scott worked with him a mere two hours before the attack.

Friday afternoon, Mickey was on his way from school to attend an after-school program. He was in a public area, walking with a group of friends. News reports indicate that he was somehow pre-selected for this attack. He was approached by at least two men and systematically stabbed in the heart.

The attack is being investigated as a gang initiation, although this has not been confirmed. For whatever the reason, it was a senseless act of barbaric violence that stole a good kid from his parents, family, friends and the community.

Self-contained special education classes are unique. Many of the students have been in the same classes together since elementary school. Tight bonds are formed among the students as they have grown up together. The loss of their classmate and friend will forever and fundamentally change this group of students and their teachers.

How do you explain the murder of a friend in a way that a special education student will understand? How do you help them cope with the empty chair in the classroom and the fear that this type of attack may happen again? This will become my husband's, along with the other self-contained teachers, job in the coming days and weeks.

This week, as you prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, please take a moment to think about Mickey. He was a sweet kid who is loved and will be missed. Rest in peace, Mickey.