Patient John Doe

Posted with permissions granted to "The Fort Family" 

DEDICATION

This story is dedicated to a wonderful young man that sadly I only knew via the internet. It is dedicated to Ashton Cody Sanchez.

God sent Cody here on 5 January 1989, as a newborn baby. After years of being tested for his beliefs as a gay youth, Cody was delivered into the loving home of my good friend, and now collaborator on this project, Miguel Sanchez and his wife. They adopted Cody in April of this year, 2002.

By the end of June 2002, Cody had completed the mission he was sent here for, and God swooped him back into his arms. Cody succumbed to complications of Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia and entered Heaven the evening of 29 June 2002. While waiting for God to call Cody back, my friend Miguel read Cody the first several chapters of Patient John Doe, sitting next to him in the lad's hospital bed.

Please think of abused, and misunderstood kids like Cody and Johnny (and the many, many thousands of others out there) as you read my tale. I am sure Cody is reading with us from above, surely now comfortably perched on God's lap.

AND A SPECIAL THANKS

To my good friend and collaborator Miguel Sanchez. Several of the characters in this work are based on Miguel's story, Julio, also found on Nifty. Miguel not only collaborated with me to blend our works together, but he and his family provided both the encouragement and inspiration to complete Patient John Doe. Thanks my friend, and to your wonderful sons for your help.