When thinking of a story that will be passed down to my children one memorable day comes to mind. It was June 30, 1995 and I was spending the week at my Aunts because my parents were in Las Vegas. My cousin Grace and I just finished an afternoon brunch followed by a nap. We decided to go outside and run around to get some fresh air. While we were picking flowers I noticed a dog guarded by a fence next door. Being the avid dog lover that I am, I decided to go over to the fence and say hi. As I approached the fence, I noticed a chocolate lab was standing there with playful eyes. Being a four year old, my first thought was to try and pet the dog. I stuck my finger through the fence and OUCH! The chocolate lab bit off the tip of my left index finger!
I immediately screamed and by the look on my cousins face I could tell that something was terribly wrong. My cousin immediately ran inside to get my Aunt. My Aunt called the ambulance and got me a towel to wrap my finger in until the paramedics came. I was in shock and could not believe that a dog just bit the tip of my finger off. The ambulance came and rushed me to the nearest hospital. The doctors rushed me into surgery, where they operated on me for 6 hours. After surgery the doctors told me that the tip of my finger could not be replaced and that I would have to live with half of my index finger gone. To this day, it still amazes me when I tell people that I have half a finger. Most people do not believe me until I show them that half of my finger is actually gone. In the future I hope to pass this vivid story down to my children and grandchildren.
This story is valuable to me for many reasons. First, I am left handed and had to learn how to write with half a finger. I am used to it now but it was a struggle early on in my life. Also, the accident occurred during the summer which led my parents holding me back in school to deal with the injury. This story will be valuable to others because it shows a tragedy that I had to overcome early on in my life. Although a dog bit me, I still love them to this day and have a black lab at my home.
(My dog Willow at home)
(My dog Willow at home)
Joey this story truly amazes me. I can't imagine how bad it most of hurt to get my finger bit off by a dog! I am an animal lover myself so it kills me to hear that this has happened to you. I wonder if you remember the pain or how much you remember of that day. That most definitely is a story that you need to pass down for years to come.
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