Thank you for your touching article on George Porter-Young ("The long journey home," April 29). He is a great man and a great friend, and I had the pleasure of working with him side by side at Sbarro for four years in South Bend. Like many of the employees at the Huddle, he was one of my best friends on campus, always up for a good story or a good political debate, and did so much more for the University than the University often did for him. I would tell you that I read your article with tears in my eyes, learning of his condition, but I will not.
First of all, George wouldn't have anything of it. Second of all, I could count on two hands the amount of times I walked into work, only to hear "George isn't going to make it." He's stared death in the face more times than anyone I've ever met, and he will surely conquer this next challenge and outlive us all. His is a message of faith and courage and unwavering optimism that us pessimistic twenty-somethings could learn a great deal from.
God bless you, Georgie, and good luck.
Jonathan Retartha
alumnus
Class of 2007
April 29
