Jeanna

You probably already know about this… from what I’ve read, the case received “worldwide media attention,” but I’ve just heard about it today.

On a Sunday morning last September, 15 year old Jeanna Giese removed a stray bat from her church, St. Patrick Catholic Church, in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. The bat bit her. By the end of October, she was dying of rabies in a Milwaukee hospital.

In her situation, it was uniformly fatal. Standard practice would be to make Jeanna comfortable until she died. (Dr. Rodney) Willoughby, father of two small children with a third on the way, knew it would be hard to leave the Gieses without hope. They would ask: Isn't there something more you can do?

There was. But the treatment couldn't even be called experimental. It was just a theory, perhaps no more than a prayer. And success could come at a terrible cost: Jeanna could survive severely brain damaged or paralyzed, her green eyes staring from a leaden body.

Doctors could only explain the risks. The Gieses would have to make the decision, and make it soon.

Now, fast forward to June 29 of this year. Last Wednesday:

It's a wonderful story that continues to unfold. Jeanna Giese, the only person in the world to survive an advanced case of rabies without a vaccine, is now more active than ever. The Fond du Lac teen spoke Wednesday night at a benefit raising money for Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.

Jeanna Giese is the first person in recorded history to survive rabies without vaccination. Only five have survived it with vaccination.

Read more:

Wikipedia: Jeanna Giese

Q&A with Jeanna's mother, Anne -- (Regiser to read)

The Giese Family on Good Morning America

Hat tip, Christian Carnival

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Akiane



Akiane Kramarik is a painter and a poet. She lives in the Midwest. Her mother is an immigrant, and Akiane is fluent in Lithuanian, Russian, English and sign language.

I like her poetry, but poetry isn’t really my thing, so I can’t really offer any critique of it. Her paintings, though, to my untrained eye, are outstanding.

About seven years ago, Akiane experienced a spiritual transformation, and ended up converting her family to Christianity. Ever since, her paintings and poems have focused on Christian and spiritual themes.

Akiane, by the way, will turn eleven years old this Saturday, July 9.

I don’t know how you define “child prodigy,” but I know one when I see one.

When she grows up, Akiane Kramarik wants to be a “wife, mother, song writer, artist, poet, chef, lecturer, movie director, doctor, photographer and dancer.” She probably will.

Oh, yeah… on top of everything else, the kid is absolutely adorable. You can look at her and tell she’ll be a beautiful woman when she grows up.

I’m starting to hate her! ;)

Click the pic of her painting below to visit her site. This kid is really remarkable.

Hat tip: Tales from the Dorkside, who was ranting and raving about this kid when she drug me out of bed this afternoon. (I'm working graveyard shift this week.)