|
PRINT
THIS PAGE | E-MAIL THIS PAGE
Friday, May 30, 1997
Child's fantasy: to give away ice cream to
his friends
PEARLAND, Texas (AP) - Robin Spidell, 5, who was diagnosed
last year with cancer, had a simple request of the Make-A-Wish
Foundation.
He wanted to give away ice cream to all the kids in his neighborhood
in this southeast Houston suburb.
So Wednesday, he was seated behind the counter of an ice cream
truck, wearing a cap that proclaimed him to be the "Ice Cream
Man."
He wore a big grin as he asked all comers "Whattaya want?"
His mother, Cheryl Smith, a 47-year-old psychotherapist, said:
"He's a rather unusual kid. This was his dream."
Her son was diagnosed in March 1996 with T cell lymphoma, a
form of cancer with a 70 percent survival rate. He related his
ice cream giveaway plan last year to the Make-A-Wish Foundation,
the non-profit group that caters to terminally ill and seriously
ill children.
Foundation officials, conditioned to expect requests for Disneyland
trips and the like, were somewhat surprised by the boy's wish.
"It's so sweet," said Teri Andrepont, executive director
of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Texas Gulf Coast, Inc. "So
many of the kids wish for something just for themselves - which
is fine - but he's very mature for his age."
The ice cream bonanza made perfect sense to the boy, a hazel-eyed
redhead whose personality hasn't been dampened by chemotherapy.
Ice cream, he said, shouldn't cost so much.
"For a Lemon Freeze, it takes eight quarters," he
said.
But Wednesday, it was all on the house, served up with an innocent
smile. Send
a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story
Send the URL (Address) of This Story
to A Friend:
Copyright ©1997,
Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications
Send
the URL (Address) of This Story to A Friend:
|
