all well & good
butterfly my sister is a
By Alison Ryan
There are simply no words to comfort a family who’s lost a child, but an 11-year-old Davie boy has found a way to help other children cope with losing a sibling. After Aidan Scully’s sister, Taylor, passed away from serious health complications when she was only 10 days old, the boy kept seeing a butterfly wherever he went. “We went to a butterfly release for my sister, and when we released our butterfly, it stayed for more than 10 minutes on a branch over my head. I knew it was Taylor,” says Scully, who always sees a butterfly nearby. Aidan, who was only 7 at the time, starting writing a book, My Sister is a Butterfly, about dealing with the loss. “I want kids to know that we are never alone. You’re always near someone that’s close to your heart, whether they’re here or not,” he says. “I hope my book will give others an outlet to speak about their stories.” Miami-based artist and muralist David Le Batard felt a connection to Aidan’s work and illustrated the book, which is now available online. The family hopes to get the book into local hospitals and therapists’ offices. A portion of proceeds will go to a charity that aids in infant loss. My Sister is a Butterfly, $14.99; visit www.
Pets Are People, Too
Protect them from the South Florida sun’s UV rays with a Tailored Dog visor. Do you protect your dog’s eyes from the sun? Vets say you should! “While dogs love the outdoors, and should be allowed to enjoy it freely, preventing excessive UV light exposure may be beneficial in preventing ocular damage, most notably corneal inflammation and cataract formation,” says Dr. Robert Swinger, owner and medical director of Animal Eye Guys of South Florida. Fort Lauderdale resident Rita Green, whose dog Ranger is a celebrity of sorts on bustling Las Olas Boulevard (seriously, the popular corgi has his own Facebook page under “Ranger for Mayor of Las Olas”), has created a line of fashionable and functional visors to shelter our furry friend’s eyes from the sun’s harmful rays. “I designed the line because Ranger is out in the sun 365 days a year, so it’s imperative for me to protect his eyes,” says Green, founder of Tailored Dog, Inc. “Ranger is 10 years old and his eyes are very healthy for his age. Do we know for sure that it’s because of the visor? No, but we think it was a contributor.” The “Visors in Vogue” come in five sizes and prices range from $29.99-$34.99. Green also sells rain coats for dogs, which come in three sizes and range from $89.99- $94.99; visit www.tailoreddog.com.
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FEBRUARY 2017