A Puppy
by Jerry Whitlow
My sister wanted a puppy. I do not know every detail, but I know her heart’s desire was to have a little puppy of her very own. The following article was written in the Martinsville Bulletin on Thursday, August 18, 1960:
Childs Desire: The wishes of little Debra Gale Whitlow of Villa Heights were answered today when Henry County Dog Warden W. M. (Tiny) Norman presented the three-year-old with a part Boston Terrier. The little girl was suffering from leukemia, a disease for which no medical science has yet found a cure. Debra, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Whitlow, had expressed a desire to have a puppy. The dog warden obtained the pet from Mrs. George Tuggle, Ridgeway, who said the dog came to her house as a stray. Mrs. Tuggle gladly gave the dog to Mr. Norman after learning that Debra desired a pet. Mrs. Whitlow said Debra quickly became attached to ‘Tippy’ but is teaching him dog manners early. She refused to allow the dog to put his feet on her, her mother said. The Whitlow's have one other child, a five-year-old son, Douglas. (Cox 239)
My family was extremely grateful for the gift of this little puppy. They desired to do everything possible to keep Debra happy. However, she was only able to enjoy Tippy for a short time.
In early November, Debra went into a comatose state from which she never recovered. November 20, 1960, being only three years of age, my sister took her last breath in a hospital room at Duke University. Tragedy had struck my family. How can a young couple, being married only eight years, handle such a tragedy in their home? How do they tell their five year- old son his sister will never come home again? From where will their comfort come?
It was through this tragedy that a neighbor and friend began to visit my parents and encourage them in the things of the Lord. Then, after two years of hearing a plain presentation of the gospel, Mom and Dad trusted Christ as their Savior on May 30, 1963. It was only then that true comfort came to my family.
Mom and Dad were baptized June 23, 1963, and immediately began to grow in the Lord. They attended church services faithfully, were both discipled, and both soon became teachers themselves. Their faithfulness paid off as their son, James Jr. and my Grandmother Stone trusted Christ in October of 1968. Both followed the Lord in baptism the following month.
On January 22, 1967, my parents once again had a child. It was then that I was born. I had the privilege of growing up in a loving home devoted to serving Jesus Christ. I too trusted Christ in a revival meeting on April 22, 1974 and followed the Lord in baptism on June 9, 1974. However, I still had the question that so many have today. Would I ever have the opportunity to be with my sister who died at such a young age?
I never met Debra as she passed from this life seven years before my birth. I heard my parents talk of her, and I have seen many pictures. Yet the question came to mind, “Will I ever get to meet my sister?”
Many families today have the same question regarding their loved ones. I hear of young children dying of dreaded diseases, being killed in horrific
accidents, and even being aborted. Will the parents ever be able to see these children again? Where are these children today? Have we simply lost them to the grave never to be seen or spoken to again? I trust the following pages will give help and comfort.