Angel Unaware
Aaron quietly entered this world on March 30, 1978. We knew something was not right. He didn’t cry. He
had no suck reflex. His eyes moved back and forth.
He was taken by ambulance to a neonatal intensive care unit where Dr’s and nurses scurried about with furrowed brows, all the while saying he would be just fine.
He wasn’t fine. Aaron began having gran mal seizures. We took him to specialists in Dallas who drew blood, poked, prodded and sighed.
Finally, we were told that Aaron’s future looked bleak and we should think about putting him in an institution.
Never!
We took Aaron home and thus began a journey of hope, sorrow, disappointment and inspiration.
Aaron was our Angel, Unaware.
Aaron was fed five to six times a day. His food was a liquid blend. We held him in our lap and gently inserted a feeding tube into his mouth and through his throat. Aaron was always cooperative and meal times became a special time of bonding. Holding and hugging held our family together.
Aaron of the bible was the spokesman for his brother, Moses, who was unable to speak well, perhaps from stuttering.
Ironically, Aaron Killough could not talk, but he sure could communicate. His vocalizations sounded like a cooing dove, so we called him “Coo bear”. Oh what I would give to hear that Angelic Coo just one more time.
Aaron’s health problems were numerous and constant, yet he faced adversity with a beatific smile and calm spirit that touched all who were fortunate enough to meet him.
Early Childhood Intervention and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act were distant dreams in East Texas.
But Aaron was a trailblazer.
Even though his needs included physical therapy,
speech (oral stimulation), nursing, special diet and
feeding, medication, positioning, and private space
for diaper changes; Aaron was the first such
severely disabled child to be mainstreamed in his
neighborhood school.
A thank you to the principal of the school Aaron
attended brought this response, which was typical
of all who met Aaron:
“Don’t thank us. Aaron does much more for us
(administrators, teachers and classmates) than
we could ever do for him. It is we who owe Aaron
thanks.”
The word “angel” comes from the Greek word aggelos, which means “messenger.” Undoubtedly, Aaron Killough was an Angel in our presence although we were unaware of it. He brought a message of unconditional love. He taught acceptance without regard to disability. Aaron opened doors for education and integration into the community. He demonstrated bravery when pain was a constant companion. Sitting in his specially adapted wheelchair - strapped in so he wouldn’t fall over - in restaurants, church, movie theaters, football stadiums, parks and zoos; Aaron delivered a message to society that individuals with disabilities are people first and deserve to fully participate in community life.
During Aaron’s life he communicated - without words - Gods will.
Even his death had a special message.
Aaron died on June 23, 2002, observed in the Russian Orthodox Church as Holy Trinity Day, or Pentecost.
Pentecost occurs 50 days after Easter. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the heads of
the Apostles infusing them with the mandate to go forth into the world and preach the Gospel. (Acts 2,11)
To the left is the 15th Century Russian icon, The Trinity, painted by the Russian artist, Andrei Rublev. In this icon are three peaceful figures sitting in a circle around an altar, behind them a tree rises, and a home is on the left. A cup is on the altar.
In the icon are three figures, Father/Creator, Son/Savior and Holy Ghost/Comforter. The hands are important. The Father's right hand is making the shape of benediction, and pointing to the Son, the Son holds out two fingers, signifying his dual nature, human and divine, and reminding us of our dual nature. The hand of the Angel that depicts the Holy Spirit is pointing downward, to the front of the altar-table where you can just see a small rectangle that represents the four corners of the earth. Yet, the place where the rectangle is drawn signifies also the place where the relics of the martyrs are placed in altars - it reminds us that we join the circle of Love by following Jesus who carried the cross and died for all the peoples of the world.
The icon suggests that the way to enter into fellowship with God is the way of Christian Service. Rublev's icon calls us to a place of love, where fear and hatred no longer can destroy us.
And so, Aaron Killough’s message and thus his legacy is a call to reach out to all those who suffer at the hands of a cruel and unjust world -- for in doing so, we may discover we have been serving an Angel, Unaware.
