Little Dude

Originally Posted: 2016

Gavin had a bedroom and a playroom, both full of toys and clothing. 

One Sunday in December I sat on the floor of Gavin’s bedroom in tears, holding his Tickle Me Elmo close to my broken heart.  The time had come to go through his and Mommy & Daddy’s personal belongings to decide what we would or would not take to keep as mementos. 

How would I choose the best memento of a child I love so deeply and miss so badly?

I wanted to take EVERYTHING! I wanted it ALL!   I wanted the clothing that still smelled like him.

I wanted the dirty jeans and shirts and tore up shoes, the tired old stuffed animals.  I even wanted his bedding!

I knew taking everything was not going to change the events of September 13, 2015.  His life ended that day and I wanted to be doing ANYTHING else on this day!

Most of Gavin’s belongings would go to charity to help clothe other children, and his toys needed to go to a little boy or girl who would use them and love them as he did.  

That’s what Gav would have wanted, and that is what had to happen.

I decided that Elmo and Bumble Bee the Transformer had to come home with me, and I decided on a few pieces of clothing to add to a memory quilt.   Somehow though it didn’t seem to be enough, I felt like I something was missing.

That was when Auntie Rachel saw a piece of yellow piece of paper taped to the wall and her voice was barely a whisper as she said, "Mom, Look!"    

I looked up and saw a drawing of a German Shepherd that Gavin had colored.   Above the drawing in Mommy’s handwriting it said, Gavin’s K-9 “Little Dude” 

 The moment I saw the drawing I knew we’d found our special something. 

It was a few weeks later that The Gavin Buchanan Memorial Foundation board members voted unanimously that “Little Dude” would be our logo.  The big dreams of a little boy and his K-9 Little Dude will live as long as I do and I hope for forever.