There are so
many ways
you can
boost your
happiness!You can shrug
off a mistake;
everyone makes
them! You can let
go of regrets;
they only weigh
us down.
You can see the
difference you
make and the
value in all you
do. And you can
give thanks and
count your
blessings: There
are so many
more ahead!said, “Maybe we could take
Fred to the park!”
A huge weight lifted from
Cheri’s chest as she watched
Jordan laughing and play-
ing with Fred and even chat-
ting with folks who stopped
to pet the pup, not the least bit
self-conscious.
Before long, Jordan was
smiling and laughing all
the time—and making new
friends. But none could take
Fred’s place in his heart.
Today, Cheri beams watch-
ing Jordan running around the
front yard, chasing his 4-year-
old, 90-pound canine buddy,
who launches two feet off
the ground to catch a frisbee
thrown by the now 13-year-
old Jordan.
“Because of Fred, Jordan is
the happy boy he used to be,”
Cheri says, thanking God every
day for the pooch. “The love I
have for this dog is indescrib-
able...he’s given me my son
back.” —Patti Zarling Getty
(^3)C
heri Radlick’s heart
broke as her 11-year-old
son, Jordan, tearfully
told her how a boy at school
had snatched his hat off his
head, exposing his bald head
to all his classmates.
The Waterford, Michigan,
middle-schooler had been
just 5 years old when he was
diagnosed with alopecia,
a condition in which the
immune system attacks the
body’s hair follicles.
He had quickly lost all of his
hair—including his eyebrows
and eyelashes. But he’d always
been a happy kid and had a
large group of friends.
But now, Jordan had started
a new school, and one boy in
particular teased him relent-
lessly. The taunting destroyed
Jordan’s confidence to the
point where he didn’t want to
go to school anymore...or even
play outside.
Desperate to help her son,
Cheri took Jordan to therapy,
but she wished for a more
immediate remedy. Then a
friend suggested Cheri get
Jordan a pet. “An animal’s
unconditional love could
be just the thing to boost
his self-esteem,” she said.When Cheri Radlick’s son, Jordan, who has
alopecia, was being bullied at school, a special
furry friend helped restore his confidence and
put a smile back on his face—and Cheri’s!
Hopeful, Cheri contacted
Paws For Life animal rescue
in nearby Troy, Michigan,
and explained Jordan’s
situation.
“I think I have the perfect
dog for Jordan,” the execu-
tive director, Courtney Protz-
Sanders said, telling Cheri
about Fred, an Australian
shepherd and Lab mix, who
had been neglected and left in
his crate 24 hours a day. He’d
developed health issues, includ-
ing nails so long they curled
under and a skin condition that
caused him to lose his hair.
“Maybe they can help each
other,” she offered.
Cheri took Jordan to meet
Fred, and the minute he saw
the golden pup with little bald
patches, Jordan’s face lit up.
In the coming days, Cheri’s
heart soared as she watched her
son and his new friend bond.
Jordan lovingly nursed Fred,
and every night, the loyal pup
would snuggle as close as he
could beside Jordan in bed. As
they lay together, Jordan would
talk to him about his feelings,
hopes and dreams.
As Fred’s health improved,
Jordan began taking him out-
side to play. And one day, heHas a person or animal come to your rescue? Share your own story with us, and we’ll pay you
$250 if we publish it! Know of a hero? Send it to us! If you’re the first to share it and we publish it, we’ll pay
you $100! Email your story with your name and phone number to: [email protected].
Or mail to: Everyday Hero, Woman’s World, 270 Sylvan Ave., Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632.Proof that love and courage come in all shapes and sizes
Animal Hero
We (^) pay
$ (^250)!
“Fred is my
best (^) friend,”
says (^) Jordan
of his sweet
rescue pup
“This pup gave
me my son back!”
54 4/13/20^ Woma n’s World