Hoopsters, horse vet all go the extra mile
It didn't take long to home in on the identities of a couple stand-up young men who lent a mechanical hand to a stranded motorist last month. The names of the two ninth-grade basketball players from Kalispell Junior High School, unknown before this column was published Jan. 14, were revealed by one of their moms and Flathead High School Activities Director Mark Dennehy.
Cody Bouley was the driver of the GM pickup that stopped to help Lew Alton. Bouley and his buddy, Patrick King, who live just a couple of blocks from each other and have been friends since they were 3 or 4 years old, came across Alton's truck, steaming and stuck in the turning lane on Meridian Road. After pulling the hose that had sprung a leak, the two went so far as taking Alton to buy a new one and then installed it for him. Bouley says they went the extra mile because it was obvious Alton didn't know how to fix the problem and needed some help - a detail that Alton pointed out in his e-mail to the principal of Flathead High and copied to the Inter Lake.
When asked why they went to so much effort, King figured, "We just hope someone would help us if we needed it."
When King explained to his mother, Cheryl King, later why he was a little late getting home, his mother said that was quite a nice thing that he and Bouley did. Her son's response was simply, "It isn't that big a deal, Mom. That's what you're supposed to do."
Sue Fanning wrote from Eureka about the gentle compassion that one veterinarian had for her horse, Magic. Fanning had brought her "sweet old Morgan" into La Salle Equine Clinic in the spring to see why he'd lost so much conditioning during the winter and why he was so lame.
"Dr. Duncan Peters took an amazing amount of time and made an exceptional effort to develop an accurate diagnosis and lay out a reasonable course of action," she wrote. Peters explains that in the past 10 to 15 years Cushing's disease is being recognized more in older, heavier horses because of diagnostics. The disease suppresses the immune system and is caused by the adrenal gland's overproduction of the hormone cortisol. Some common equine symptoms are an apparent cold, skin problems, a shaggy coat that doesn't shed in the spring.
The condition can be managed somewhat, and Peters worked closely with Fanning and her blacksmith to make sure they both understood how to best help her horse recover.
Magic's condition did improve during the summer, enough to give Fanning's grandchildren a few short rides. But this winter, his symptoms returned, as can be typical with Cushing's disease. Fanning brought her horse back to the clinic in December.
"Dr. Peters was patient, kind, informative and professional," she wrote. "He gave me every scrap of information he had to allow me to decide what my options were.
"It seemed clear to me that the kindest thing I could do for my best friend was to let him move on to greener pastures." Once her mind was made up, Peter graciously allowed her to be with her dear old friend for his final moments.
Fanning writes, "I sincerely appreciate Dr. Duncan Peters and the entire staff at La Salle Clinic for their knowledge, professionalism, grace and love - always willing to go that extra mile for our wonderful equine friends."