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The Hillary Democrats
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End The Mistreatment of Race Horses
Playing Nice
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Take That, Big Oil!
Presidential Pariah
Harper's Index
A Perfect Calm For John McCain
What John McCain Told Me, And What It Says About How Far He’s Fallen
‘The Change You Deserve’
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Nobody Loves You Like Mama Does
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In Visit To Israel, Bush Can Prevent A War With Iran
Too Late To The Duck Hunt
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Vote For Justice
Breeding Sorrow
U.S. Must Stay In Iraq Till Day Is Done And Victory Won
Barack Obama's Bitter Half
Hillary And The Golden Handshake
Why Won't Hillary Adopt The Huckabee Option?
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Mrs. And Mr. President
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McCain, Huckabee And The Evangelicals
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Battle of The Hawks
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The Losing Candidate's Public Pain
Taking Out The Junk -- Interview With Steven Milloy
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It's Islamic Jihad, Not Extremism, Uncle Sam
Letter To African-Americans
Mississippi Harbinger
West Virginia: Then And Now



A Dog Named Abner
Tom Purcell 1/7/2008
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A Dog Named Abner

By Tom Purcell

Gorman Johnston couldn't bear the thought of parting with his dog, Abner.

His story dates back to 1998. Gorman and his wife, Doris, took a drive to the country. They visited a farmer who'd bred a litter of Brittany spaniels.

Doris had been battling cancer for 11 years. She needed to get more exercise. Perhaps a dog would give her more incentive to take walks every day.

There were only three puppies left when they arrived. One ran to Doris and immediately made his affection known. Gorman and Doris knew right away they'd found their pup. Doris named him Abner after her childhood dog.

Abner produced the desired results -- Doris took him for a long walk every morning. The two were soon inseparable. As she sat on the couch reading, Abner lay at her feet. As she lay in bed sleeping, Abner kept watch at the foot of her bed.

In January 2005, Doris' cancer finally caught up with her. The day she died, Gorman was so busy tending to the necessary arrangements, he didn't realize Abner was missing. He searched all over the house before he found him.

Abner was sitting on Doris' side of the bed, panting nervously.

Gorman did his best to carry on after
Doris was gone, but it wasn't easy. They'd been married 53 years, after all. He missed her desperately. Thank goodness he still had Abner.

But his health began to deteriorate. He'd had heart issues for years, but he was so busy caring for Doris, he had no choice but to keep going. Without her, his heart weakened rapidly.

Gorman knew he couldn't take care of himself anymore, but he didn't know where to turn. He'd have to find a retirement home, but what to do with Abner? Most homes don't allow pets. The thought of parting with Abner weighed heavily on Gorman's mind.

That's when Providence intervened.

For nearly 20 years, Gorman had been a volunteer at the Little Sisters of the Poor in Pittsburgh, PA. The home provides high-quality care and compassion to the elderly poor. The sisters there had cared for Gorman's mother in her last days; he began volunteering shortly after she died.

Gorman performed a variety of odd jobs over the years -- whatever the sisters needed. In the process, he befriended many. Two good friends, Dan and Kitty Hilinski, began volunteering in 1994, after the sisters cared for Kitty's mother. Dan and Kitty were aware of Gorman's predicament. They had the perfect solution.

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Tom Purcell 2006