While Nathan was with us just a short time, he made more friends than many do in a long lifetime!

    He took great delight in all things from people to toys to watching someone wash dishes.  He especially loved small toy cars and balloons.  He would take all his cars and line them up, and would get highly upset should someone turn one around or move it out of position!  It was also mandatory around our house (at least to Nathan) that no one was allowed to sit on his "road" when he was using it.   This occasionally caused problems, as his "road" was typically the couch!

    He also loved animals.  Before he got sick we had two cats which he played with all the time.  Due to his illness we were forced to give the cats away.  During the course of his illness he always told us he wanted another cat, but understood that we could not have one.

    His brothers, however, did have and were able to keep hamsters.   He always enjoyed watching them when they were brought out of their cages. He always also asked to hold them, but was just a little unsure of them.  As soon as they would start to "explore" he would decide that he did not want to hold them any more!  He did not have any qualms about petting them as long as they stayed still, though!

    Due to the failure of regular Chemotherapy to cure the leukemia he required a Bone Marrow Transplant.  Part of the procedure for this is very strong Chemotherapy followed by massive doses of radiation designed to kill all the existing bone marrow.  This will also hopefully kill all the cancer too.  As you can imagine this made him very sick, but one thing he always looked forward to was the fish tank in the Radiation Therapy waiting room.  No matter how sick he was he would quiet down and watch the fish!  He especially loved the puffer fish with its big blue eyes!

    He had compassion for others.  Many times even when he was sick, he would try to comfort others who were crying due to their illnesses.  He got to see many of these during his battle.  He made a good friend at the Atlanta hospital during the transplant.  His name is Bryce.  After he and Bryce where allowed to go home Bryce got sick again and had to spend more time in Atlanta.  Due to the treatments all the patients are susceptible to illness for a long time.  My wife Kathy took Nathan back to Atlanta so that the boys could play with each other.  Due to a scheduling mix-up, Bryce had surgery performed that morning (it was originally scheduled for the previous afternoon).  After Bryce returned to his room he was in a great deal of pain and was crying and upset at the doctors who were trying to give him some medication.   Nathan from the corner of the room yelled "It's all right Bryce I'm here (for you)."  This was two weeks before his cancer claimed him.

Below is a poem that one of our friends wrote for Nathan's funeral:

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