I grew up in a town less than 5 miles wide. I had a class of about 160 students, and I'd known most of them since grade school. We have 3 stoplights and if you blink, there is a high probability you'll miss downtown. The lady at the gas station knows everyone by name and any time you go out you'll see someone you know, without fail. When one of us triumphs the whole town is behind them until the end. Similarly, when one of us falls we are all there to catch them and that is what I find amazing.

The small towns allow for news to travel quickly and before you know it there's a Facebook page to communicate and stay updated. We come together during heartache, we rely on each other. We pray for a miracle, we pray for help, we pray for a good day, we pray for strength and support. We pray because we don't know what else to do. Even those who aren't religious keep those affected in their thoughts. Those who don't personally know the family experiencing the heartache will go out of their way to be a shoulder to lean on, a donor, or a source of hope. When tragedy struck my town, I was in awe at what the people of small, rural Mt. Zion were capable of.

A couple months ago a young, athletic, loving, 9 year old boy tragically had a stroke. He was diagnosed with Arteriovenous Malformation, AVM. For those of you who don't know (which was most of us until this occurred), AVM is a tangle of abnormal blood vessels connecting arteries and veins in the brain. It is very rare, affecting less than 1% of people, and usually goes unnoticed until the blood vessels rupture and result in bleeding in the brain.

Over the last 2 months I have watched as every person in the community has come together to support this young boy and his family. In less than 72 hours there was a community prayer organized that brought over 600 people, a GoFundMe account was set up and received over 100 donations, and t-shirts had been put in production. SEVENTY - TWO. HOURS.. Since then, there have been 50/50 raffles, t-shirt sales through the roof, talent shows, races, silent auctions, and so much more.

Situations like this are something no one ever wishes for, no one will ever want, but they still happen. When it hits, it brings people closer. It makes you have a new outlook on life, one that is appreciative for what you have. This little boy has been through it all: surgeries, rehab, medications, etc. He's had good days and he's had not so good days, but the one thing that prevails is the outlook he has on life. He's received things from Kobe Bryant and kept a positive outlook while watching his Cubs work their way to the World Series Championship title. He even sang "Go Cubs Go" after they won!

He has come so far in the last couple of months and he's brought the community he grew up in so far as well. His strength and resilience alone have shown so many people what you can do with a positive attitude and the power of prayer.

"Win the Day"