Many people
save aluminum can tabs to help support good causes, but few purse it the way Morgan Stock,
11, daughter of Mike and Michele Stock and granddaughter of Pat and Dick Freeland of
Smithfield, does. The fact that she cars so much for helping other children tells
much about the spirit of this tiny dynamo.
"When Morgan was only 6 months old, she was diagnosed with a
rare genetic disorder called I-cell disease. She was only the 36th documented case
in the world to have such a disorder," said her mother, Michele Stock.
"I-cell disease affects Morgan's facial features, her eyes, heart, lungs and
speech. And she has developed some skeletal abnormalities because of it,"
she said. "There is no cure for and no medicine she can take that would
help. It's a progressive disease, so eventually, she can go blind and can become a
criple." Morgan's Mum explained that I-cell disease has affected Morgan's
weight and height as well. But with much determination, this past year, she has been
able to gain 2 pounds as well as grow and inch taller.
"Doctor's know nothing about the disease or even what causes
it in some babies and not in others." "We were told that Morgan would not
survive her fifth birthday and she is now 11 years old and has a strong desire to help
other children. This speaks well of her," Michele said.
After seeing Rainbow Babies at the Children's Hospital in Cleveland collecting tabs,
Morgan took it upon herself to start her own collection and wanted to donate the money
raised to charity. She has collected enough tabs to fill up five 18-gallon
containers, a five-gallon bucket and seven large plastic bags.
"My husband would drink a pop and she would say, 'Dad, we
have to save that.' And she told the whole family to start saving them for her,
too," Morgan's Mum said.
At the Smithfield Apple festival, Morgan proudly sat down for a
hair cut to donate 8 inches of her own hair to Locks of Love for the ABATE Region 1
project.
Pop those tabs - Morgan Stock, 11 year old
daughter of Michele and Mike stock of Vermillion and granddaughter of Pat and Dick
Freeland of Smithfield,is trying to help others, even thought she has a rare illness
herself. She urged friend and family to save tabs from beverage cans that she will
donate to the Ronald McDonald House in Cleveland to benefit families of
hospitalized children. Morgan sits on a stool amoung the many tabs collected.
There were eight members or ABATE family members who contributed
their locks. Her mother did the cutting for the project, where many in the audience
contributed money to have their hair shortened. Morgan knew that Locks of Love is a
not-for-profit organization providing hairpieces, free of charge, to financially
disadvantaged children suffering from long-term hair loss, resulting from any medical
diagnosis, and wanted to help.
Dick Freeland, her grandfather, known as "Popsie", was
a big influence on Morgan to donate as well, it wasnoted. "Morgan saw him lose
all of his hair because of cnacer treatments. Thanks goodness, he is fine now and
has all his hair back," Michele said.
At all Smithfield Apple Festival parades, Morgan rides in a 2005, red
convertible Mustang. "She is the owner, and Popsie is the maintainer,"
Pat Freeland, better know as NeNe, said. "Morgan loves to swim in our
pool. She likes to play games and is into the miniture kitchens, where she plays
homemaker and cook," Freeland said.
"Our ABATE biker group always wants to do a poker run for
Morgan but the truth is, we appreciate it but don't want it," Stock told.
"We take care of her. She's got good grandparents, aunts, uncles,
friends who help," she said.
"The ABATE members love Morgan. When we gathered
together, everyone wants to talk to her," Stock said. "Suzanne
Kresser and Ken Perkins of ABATE were interested in getting her story out."
Morgan is a fifth-grade special education pupil at Harris Elementary
School and has urges her classmates to save beverage tabs for her. "She never
wants anyone doing anything for her, she just wants to help other people,"
Stock said.
Her mother is a bus driver for the Amherst City Schools and her
father works at Ford's asembly plant in Avon Lake.
No date has been set to present the beverage can tabs to the
Ronald McDonald House as yet. Until that time, Morgan will continue collecting more
and more aluminum can tabs, somthing she hopes will make a difference in the lives of
other children.
"She has always beena caring child and is looking out
for everybody else. She's little but she has a big heart," her proud
mother said.
This article appeared in the
Herald Star, Jan 13th 2008, by Esther McCoy
The author,
on those exceedingly rare occasions when
she does think, indeed thinks very differently.
