One person can make a difference in a life

I know some people who read this are going to think this is sappy but it's a true story and I think it shows the impact the love and support one person can have
If you're female you might need a kleenex



As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of
> school, she told the children an untruth. Like most teachers, she
> looked
> at her students and said that she loved them all the same. However,
> that
> was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat,
> was
> a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.
>
>
> Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he
> did
> not play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and
> that he constantly needed a bath. In addition, Teddy could be
> unpleasant. It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually
> take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold
> X's and then putting a big "F" at the top of his papers.
>
>
> At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review
> each child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last. However,
> when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.
>
>
> Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright child with a
> ready
> laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners... he is a joy to
> be
> around.."
>
>
> His second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student, well
> liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a
> terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle."
>
>
> His third grade teacher wrote, "His mother's death has been hard on
> him.
> He tries to do his best, but his father doesn't show much interest,
> and
> his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken."
>
>
> Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't
> show
> much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and he
> sometimes
> sleeps in class."
>
>
> By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of
> herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas
> presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for
> Teddy's. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper
> that he got from a grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it
> in
> the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to
> laugh
> when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing,
> and a bottle that was one-quarter full of perfume. But she stifled
> the
> children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was,
> putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist. Teddy
> Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, "Mrs.
> Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used to."
>
>
> After the children left, she cried for at least an hour. On that very
> day, she quit teaching reading, writing and arithmetic. Instead, she
> began to teach children. Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to
> Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The
> more
> she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year,
> Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and,
> despite
> her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became
> one
> of her "teacher's pets.."
>
>
> A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her
> that she was the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.
>
>
> Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then
> wrote
> that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was
> still
> the best teacher he ever had in life.
>
>
> Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while
> things
> had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and
> would soon graduate from college with the highest of honors. He
> assured
> Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he had
> ever had in his whole life.
>
>
> Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he
> explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a
> little further. The letter explained that she was still the best and
> favorite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer....
> The letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.
>
>
> The story does not end there. You see, there was yet another letter that
> spring. Teddy said he had met this girl and was going to be married.
> He
> explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was
> wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit at the wedding in the
> place that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom. Of
> course,
> Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one
> with
> several rhinestones missing. Moreover, she made sure she was wearing
> the
> perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last
> Christmas
> together.
>
>
> They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson's
> ear, "Thank you Mrs. Thompson for believing in me. Thank you so much
> for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a
> difference."
>
>
> Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said,
> "Teddy,
> you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could
> make
> a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you."
>
>
> (For you that don't know, Teddy Stoddard is the Dr. at Iowa Methodist
> in
> Des Moines that has the Stoddard Cancer Wing.)
>
>