Imagine waking up in the middle of the night to theblood-curdling scream of your little brother.

It was late April and mybrother had just had his tonsils out. I had gone to bed early, exhausted fromtaking care of him. It was around midnight when I was so horrifyingly awakened. Ihurried into his room and what I saw will haunt me forever. My brother wasstanding in a massive puddle of blood he had coughed up. I stood there indisbelief, not wanting to see what I was so clearly seeing.

By the time Icame out of my trance, my parents were dressed and in the car. I ran out in mypajamas and we zoomed to the emergency room. We were immediately takeninto a room where a doctor tried desperately to put a tube downhis throat. You could hear him screaming all throughout the hospital.

AllI could see was a blur of hands, blood, and more blood. It was just too much formy mom to see her baby go through that without being able to do anything. Herface went pale and she started stumbling, then fainted to the floor. They had tolay her on a bed in the hallway.

The doctors couldn't handle thesituation so they decided to transfer my brother to another hospital. You can'teven imagine what it feels like to kiss your little brother good-bye and not knowif you will ever see him again. I will never forget the look in his eyes as theyloaded him onto the helicopter.

The drive to Abilene was the longest ofmy life. When we finally arrived, my brother was already in surgery. They had tosew an artery back together which was where all the blood was coming from.

When they wheeled him out of the operating room, it was the happiestmoment of my life. He was pale as a sheet, but to me he looked perfect. I'venever been so happy to see him. We just hugged and kissed him and later, when wefinally were able to get in the car and head home, he fell asleep in mylap.

A week later he was up and running around like normal.

Nowwhen I look at him, I don't just see an annoying little brother, I see a funny,caring, energetic kid. He's the best little brother in the entire world, and Ilove him more than he will ever know.