The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

When Alan and Lorrie Merrill visited the ruins of Pompeii in Italy, little did they know what it would stir up at home when they brought their grandson Henry a book about Pompey and Mount Vesuvius erupting and destroying that area.

Henry, who has always been interested in natural disasters and ruins, almost wore the book out looking at its pages over and over again.

Henry is the son of Mary and Nathan Merrill. He is a five year old very active little boy with a great imagination and gift of gab.

There is something else you wouldn't know about Henry to meet him, that being he has had a heart defect since almost birth. Called Belshassen's Syndrome, he was diagnosed with it on his first birthday.

The good news is that at his last appointment Henry's doctors told him and his parents that he just might be growing out of the disease. Good news indeed for the Merrill family and Henry's brother and sisters.

In the meantime Mary got a letter from the Montana Chapter of the "Make A Wish Foundation" saying that it is not just people who are terminally ill who get wishes granted. It is anyone who has had a life threatening disease. Henry had made a wish that he might be able to visit the ruins of Pompeii and the grand old mountain of Vesuvius.

Mary said that she has been told that more kids can qualify than we might expect.

Anyway, Henry's wish was to visit Pompeii and see the ruins left by Mount Vesuvius erupting all those many years ago.

Well, the wish has been granted so the whole family is going to fly to Rome in early December!

While there they will visit the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel and Nathan is in awe that their three year old daughter will be along as he has been told that first lasting memories are around the age of three! Imagine the Sistine Chapel being a first memory for a three year old.

They will see the ruins, climb Mount Vesuvius and see many of the grand sites that Italy offers!

They will be in Italy for nine days and take a fast train that goes from Rome to Naples to get them where they want to go.

Mary worries that it is a twelve hour flight with four kids but knows that they will do just fine.

Most of all, Mary and Nathan want to tell others that "Make a Wish" is something that can happen more often in that part of Montana than you might think.

If you have an idea of someone who needs a wish granted, contact Mary or Nathan Merrill for information as to who to get a hold of.

Meantime fly safe, Merrill family and come home with suitcases brimming with a lifetime of memories made in a few short days.