The kids of Carondelet Catholic School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, learned many things in their school life – but most importantly they learned about kindness, unity, and love. Owen Guertin, a 4th grader was diagnosed with an arteriovenous malformation, a condition in which the blood vessels in the brain were tangled. If it is left untreated, the vessels can rupture, causing death. Owen’s parents were devastated as his cousin recently died followed by the same condition. Owen’s classmates and teacher were also upset.
As Owen prepared for surgery at the Boston Children’s Hospital, his classmates missed his presence. Everyday they dressed his favorite teddy bear in the school uniform and placed it in his seat, providing comfort to his fellow students. One day, their teacher Kristen Rafferty was reading “Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes” written by Eleanor Coerr. The book tells about a young woman with leukemia on a mission to fold over 1,000 Rafferty . One of her students asked if the class could do the same for Owen. Rafferty was so happy to encourage the mission and they folded 1000 Paper Cranes for their beloved friend. Meanwhile, Owen had a successful 17-hour surgery and was in recovery. He returned to the 101 class on Valentine’s Day and the entire class welcomed him in the most sweetest way.
