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He’s ten years old, red-headed, freckle-faced, and he likes soccer, baseball, basketball and swimming.

But his favorite thing to do is working in the garden.

In June, 1987 while he was doing something else children like to do — riding his bicycle — his life took a downhill turn and almost ended when he collided with a car. This active, talkative boy fell suddenly silent.

He was revived and stabilized, then rushed to Arkansas Children’s Hospital aboard the emergency helicopter transport Angel One.

While he was still in a coma, emergency rom technicians, nurses and doctors worked to restore the use of his limbs — including a leg which was, in their words, “broken to pieces.” His parents were present for many of the procedures, while staff members explained them. They never gave up.

He was in our Pediatric Intensive Care Unit for two weeks, and a few weeks later, his silence ended: he came out of the coma. Soon, he was able to start therapy in our Rehabilitation Center and began to rebuild his young muscles. He returned to school last year, working hard in spite of the fact that his rehabilitation was not yet complete. Like his parents, he never gave up.

He knows life is going to be uphill from now on. But he also knows that, justas he helps the plants in his garden, there will always be someone around to help him grow.

And his dad says, “I just thank God every day that I have my son.”

Arkansas Children’s Hospital
Where love can move mountains.

YOUR CHILDREN ARE OUR CHILDREN.
8th and Marshall Streets Little Rock, AR 72202-3591 370-1100

The first ad in this series, (“Equestrian,” left) was written by Creative Director Ralph Patterson, and my task for the remaining three was to continue the narrative writing style and word count. “Your Children Are Our Children” was the positioning line I created for the client, which was retained for many years (and even borrowed later on by another children’s hospital elsewhere, I understand). This series of four ads featured beautiful done-by-hand pastel illustrations made from photographs at a time before PhotoShop made that easy.

249 Spring Street • Eureka Springs, AR 72632
wryterkb@gmail.com