A pleasant surprise

What a pleasant surprise to open the Gettysburg Times on Saturday, Jan. 28, and read the story about McKinley Lentz who has been coping with erythromelalgia and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. We thought of Helen Keller as we continued to read about McKinley and the challenges she has endured. Hopefully, her peers will be more kind and helpful and try to understand her situation. This is a chance for them to learn about such conditions and become more compassionate with others who are faced with physical challenges.

We were pleased to read that she is a fighter with a lot of energy by getting involved in dance, 4 different sports, and being a lifeguard. She certainly is a focused and dedicated 12-year-old. We are so happy and thankful for McKinley and her family that she got a call to be an extra in “A Gettysburg Christmas” and to meet the wonderful people who were so impressed with her that they gave her a special part in the movie that would be “giving her a boost upward in life.” We look forward with great anticipation to viewing her in the movie when it is released.

Helen and Bob DeFayette,

Gettysburg