Editor,

This is directed to the Board of Education and the faculty of Logan High School, with regards to Todd Mowery and his Fabry's Disease.

I am very familiar with this disease. My brother passed away from this disease, Oct. 13, 2007, at the age of 49. He suffered all his life and fought a hard battle. He had a pace maker, his kidneys had failed, and the pain was truly unbearable. Sometimes, it took such a toll on him ... until you have seen it, you have no concept of what they go through. I watched him suffer his whole life. He was ridiculed because he couldn't do the things everyone else could. He had intense burning in his hands and feet. He could not sweat. The pain would be so severe he had a hard time making it through the day. Some days, he could do things, other days not. He worked his whole life, until a few years before he passed. When he became to sick to work, he was made fun of in front of the whole office. It didn't matter that he had worked the same job for over 20 years. Stress will bring on very bad episodes. This is a very rare disease and it is deadly.

My mother and two of my aunts have this disease. I have a cousin with three small children and they all have it. Some now take enzyme treatments. That was not around for my brother, until it was too late to do any good. There is no cure. Any of you who think this is something to be faked had better think again.

What is even worse then everything Todd is going through, is to know that the BOE and some faculty, think it's okay to deny him things every child should be allowed to do for graduation. What gives any of you the right? Did anyone of you think to see just what happens to a person with this disease? I think not. You denied him, because you think he just wants to skip school and get all the benefits. Each and everyone of you involved in denying him should have to talk to people involved with this, be it family, doctors, treatment centers, or whomever. It is not his fault he has the disease and can't attend school. He's graduating, so he must be doing his work. Each and every one of you should be ashamed of yourselves, for the way you have treated him.

I know I'm truly ashamed of a system that would act like this. His life won't be any easier, ever. I so hope that each and every one of you can live with the fact that you caused undo stress and turmoil in this child's life. Thanks to you all, I'm sure Fabry's is working overtime on him right now. He deserves to have what happiness he can get out of his life.

Was it too much to ask for him to attend ballgames (when he felt up to it), to allow him to attend a senior party, and I'm sure there's a lot more he was denied, because of you shallow minded people. I truly hope these rules are changed, and remember there are always exceptions to the rules, and this should have been one of them.

Kim Butcher

Verdunville