My dying best friend

[Aractus]

Ed was wheelchair bound with the less extreme form of muscular dystrophy. He used to skateboard until the age of 14 or 15 when he had to then move to crutches and eventually a wheelchair. It fucked him up, mentally. You could tell his hope in life was diminished. He'd never walk again. The two of us used to make music together (rap) and he lived with me for a short time. He died at the end of 2012, only at the age of 23, from an overdose of prescription drugs (he was also addicted to crack and heroin, which he sold because he couldn't really work--had very little muscle strength, just enough in his arms to get in and out of bed himself and to wheel himself around).

You lived with a drug dealer?? You realize you are guilty of, and could have been charged with conspiracy to distribute since you knowingly facilitated his distribution?

Anyway, when I was 18 years old one of the first people I began working with was a boy who was then twelve years old. We'll call him Lucas (...) He's an absolutely terrific guy. I love him. We goof off, make up silly raps and play games, listen to music (I've gotten him into 2Pac). Lucas will be 19 this April. He'll never get to go for a walk by himself or drive a car. He's missed out on so much and he will miss out on so much more.

He sounds like a much nicer person than this Ed, assuming that he doesn't distribute drugs that is.

And he gets to live until 21-22? Lucky him! Not everyone is that lucky - I mean you would know this, obviously.

Stephen Hawking is also very lucky, although he doesn't have DMD, he does have ALS and just like DMD it was supposed to kill him young, in fact he was given two years when he was 21.

But that aside, you obviously care about your friend a lot. As you know it's not in your power as to whether he lives or dies, and even though it's irrational, it is things that are outside of our power that worries us humans most! He wouldn't want you to pity him, or to believe that his life has less value because of its length. As I said, he is actually very lucky and I know I'm much luckier than him and for that I'm grateful, but I don't think that means I'm better than other people.

My youngest friend died at 17 in late 2000 - he didn't even see the new millennium! He was about 17 and one month, I think. His name was Trevor Michael Clarke. But, he had his life and he lived it, and he didn't know that he was going to die young - it came as a huge shock to everyone, and even the doctors could not work out how he died. He got up one morning to go to work at Hungry Jacks, and collapsed dead as he was leaving the house. Lucas is more fortunate than him. His friends and family are more fortunate too because they know their time is borrowed and can make the most out of it - or whatever they choose out of the time he has left.