Posted on 07/07/2004 2:45:46 PM PDT by Jenya
"Both parties? I am trying to think of a Republican doing it."
Yes, former Republican Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan, (who I voted for as AG and Govenor).
Politics Page - Internet Issue 69 (2), January 2002
http://www.polishnews.com/fulltext/politics/2002/politics69_2.shtml
JIM RYAN:
Clear Values -
Strong Purpose -
Our Next Governor?
A FAMILY MAN
Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan was born in Chicago on February 21, 1946. He grew up in Villa Park and graduated from Illinois Benedictine College in 1968, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. In 1971, he received his law degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law.
Ryan is family man who doesn't like to spend the night away from his wife and children. He and Marie, his high school sweetheart and wife of 33 years, have six children and four grandchildren. Ryan's oldest son John and wife Stacie have three children, Caitlyn, Joey, and Sarah. His second oldest, Jim and wife Heather have a daughter, Grace. Matt and his fiancee Melissa are planning a June 2002 wedding. Ryan's daughter Amy works in interior design and son Patrick is a high school senior. Another beloved daughter, Annie, died in 1997. The Ryans raised their family in Bensenville. Marie admits that at times it was hard raising six kids on a prosecutor's salary but says, "I hope that what we were unable to give our children financially, we have made up for in love and good times."
JIM RYAN, THE FAITHFUL FIGHTER
Jim Ryan is a fighter. He has fought for what he thinks is right his entire life. He has fought for justice, for his family, for his faith, and for his health. His experience as a teenage Golden Gloves boxing champion helped prepare him to handle the rough blows that life would deliver, but it was his family and his faith in God that saw him through his darkest moments.
In August 1996, Ryan's doctor's discovered three large tumors in his section. The diagnosis: non-Hodgkin's large -cell lymphoma. It meant that Ryan would begin an aggressive regimen of radiation and che-motherapy.
That was just the beginning of what turned out to be a tragic chain of events - compared by the media to the trials of Job in the Bible. In January 1997, the Ryans suddenly lost their youngest child, 12-year-old Anne Marie to an undetected brain tumor. The loss devastated the Attorney General, who was still undergoing chemotherapy. He gave the eulogy at Annie's funeral mass saying, "We can all learn a lot from Annie. Annie had a generous spirit, she was unselfish and cared more about others than she did for herself . . . Annie was a peacemaker . . . she wanted people to get along."
"As a prosecutor, I've dealt with victims all my life. I've dealt with families who've lost loved ones in even more tragic circumstances. But when you experience it firsthand, there is nothing more devastating."
Then in October -- just nine months later -- as the family struggled to live on without Annie, Ryan's wife Marie nearly died after suffering cardiac arrest. The Attorney General was with his wife when it happened. They had been out for a walk near their home when Marie said she felt some chest pain. Ryan insisted they go to the hospital. On the way, Marie stopped breathing, and after Ryan attempted CPR, to no avail, he rushed onto the hospital. Doctors credited the Attorney General's quick action with helping to save Marie's life. For several days, the family did not know if Marie would make it or if she did, whether she would suffer permanent brain damage.
Mrs. Marie Ryan
I have to say one more thing: in all this time, it never occurred to me that there would be no more joy in my life. Ever. My problem was how to deal with that joy without feeling guilty about it.
I didn't have another child, but I have to wonder what this girl thinks when she reads this stuff her parents say. It must be devastating.
See my post to cyncooper.
For the record, my heart goes out to the Edwards family for the loss of their son. I have seen for myself the devastation a family experiences when they lose a child and I have compassion for them.
I see a factual record of the personal tragedies that his family has gone through. His only quote was that his family tragedies had sharpened his focus.
I don't see anything in that write-up that even remotely compares to Al Gore's sister story, the Wellstone funerally, or "doing everything" because of the child he lost.
In simple terms - That is a symtom of mental illness. They need grief counseling.
George Herbert Walker and Barbara Bush lost a daughter, George W lost a sister and Laura lost a boyfriend.
I musta missed that one. I do remember OwlGore shamelessly using his sister's death against the very corporations he was taking vast sums of money from.... or was it the PAC's?
I'm very sorry for him...but how disgusting to use his son's death as a political tool. It's absolutely reprehensible.
Edwards IS fair game for this. He did kill his kid through sloth and indolence, if not outright negligence, and the Dems set him up for this anyway.
The Republicans would be correct to have no pity on this guy.
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