“It’s rough at times. Wherever you go, people stare at you. You’re always different. I’m used to it now, but it was really hard when I was a kid. When I tried to make friends in school, the other kids used to call me names.”

“Like what?”

“Walkie-talkie,” Peggy Jo sobs. Laughter bursts from the campers.

“Children can be so cruel.”

“It’s fear and ignorance, I know that now,” Peggy Jo says through her tears, “but that doesn’t make it any easier. I want what other girls want. I dream of going down the aisle someday with a gorgeous guy—a guy like Willie.”

Willie stands up and blows her a kiss, exactly as Cary Grant might do it, if Cary Grant were ghastly. Peggy Jo can’t manage her next line.

“But it is not to be, unless a cure is found,” Sara covers. “I know you’re all choked up.”

I squeal but stay in control.

“Peggy Jo, I promise you, we will never forget your courage. We’ll do everything we can to find a cure so that someday you’ll be just like us.”

She staggers away.

“Jean, I know all the folks out there were touched by Peggy Jo’s story.” I nod. A little clumsy nod, I feel. “Margie, how’re we doing?”

“Thanks to Peggy Jo’s courage, we are now at forty thousand dollars!” She holds the thermometer way over her head.

“HOW ABOUT THAT???” Cheers go up. I’m delighted. Margie is doing so well.

“Now I want to tell you about Yvonne.” Hearing her cue, Yvonne strides across the stage like Miss America. “If you saw last year’s telethon, you know Yvonne is one of our great success stories. She was born with two legs.”

I manage to shake my head sadly.

“But, thanks to brilliant surgeons, she’s down to one. She still walks with an artificial leg, but no one would call her a walkie-talkie anymore. She’s earned the right to be called a cripple. Just like any of us. And she has high hopes, hopes of getting a wheelchair someday. With your help, I think she can do it!”

Kick the leg off! my brain yells.

“I know I can!” Yvonne says with a thumbs-up. “Someday I’ll get in that chair!”

Drop it! Show them the stump! Give them a real good look!

“That’s the spirit,” Sara says.

I nod. Yvonne’s part is done, and she walks away on her plastic leg. Too bad.

“He loves me, he loves me not.”

“Now let’s meet someone who is not so fortunate, at least not yet. Come on out, Denise!” Denise kneels before us and kisses our hands. “Denise is terribly afflicted. She can walk, run, even dance. She thinks normally. She looks soooo normal.” Sara shudders a little. “But she never lets it get her down. Tell us, Denise.”