Monday, March 31, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
It's a special day when a boy gets his own dog.
But when the Make-A-Wish Foundation is making that dream happen, the sky's the limit. Literally.
Clinton Bogue tried his best to take it all in last week when the Thunderbirds, the Air Force's Air Demonstration Squadron, dedicated a special performance to the 12-year-old Las Vegas boy battling cystic fibrosis and a subsequent brain stem tumor that have rendered him speechless and a quadriplegic.
His heart-rate monitor raced each time the jets buzzed by. And so did the heart of a 3-year-old Welsh Corgi waiting inside the Thunderbirds' hangar at Nellis Air Force Base to meet her new owner.
"Clint's so excited," mother Michelle Bogue said as four aircraft roared overhead in diamond formation above the Nellis Air Force Base runway.
There was relief in her voice. Except for emergency trips to the hospital, it was the first time in 1 1/2 years that Clint had been out of the house. He is dependent on a respirator to breathe, further complicated by his congested lung disease.
Michelle's favorite critical care team was able to transport her son by ambulance to the event, and with SPF 45 sunscreen, sunglasses and a poster held over Clint's head for shade, things went smoothly.
"It's turned out to be an absolutely beautiful day," Michelle said. "We've really been blessed."
For a full half hour, the Bogue family was treated to a front row seat as the jets blasted through high G forces in tight formation, periodically upstaged by their fellow solo pilots in F-16 Fighting Falcons.
Make-A-Wish began piecing together the event about two weeks ago after meeting Clint and learning that dogs and planes were his childhood favorites.
After determining a Corgi as the best breed for Clint, they found Josie at the Riverside Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club of Southern California. Her previous elderly owners had given her up after the short-haired purebred defended herself against a poodle attack.
She had been at the shelter six months, and was a week away from being put down when Make-A-Wish volunteer Lisa Anderson called. As it turned out, Clint's wish gave Josie a second chance at life.
Fran Ehrenreich, Wish Team member, arranged for her dog's vet and groomer to take on Josie free of charge.
PetsMart donated a carrier and a $100 gift certificate for food.
Petco donated a bed, toys and even a dog-size flight jacket, which Josie wore to meet Clint.
Bookstar donated author James Herriot's "Dog Stories" on tape for Clint to listen to.
Anderson, who is working on her master's in aviation management at Nellis, had connections to the Thunderbirds and timed Josie's presentation with the squadron's special private demonstration for their families.
"It's such a fun wish, especially for us because we got to be more creative," said Make-A-Wish volunteer Lisa Mogel. "Clint wanted a friend, so we got to roll a little."
Special guests were in the crowd, namely critical care nurse Marie Lemmon and emergency medical technician intermediate Steve Thompson.
The two have come to know Clint quite well in the past year, transporting him by ambulance multiple times for emergency trips to the hospital.
Michelle Bogue calls them "Clint's critical care team" and requested their help for Thursday, but was told neither could make it -- Lemmon is on maternity leave and Thompson had the day off.
"When I got the page, and it said it was in regard to Clinton, at first I got an awful feeling in my stomach," Thompson said. "I called immediately. They told me everything was all right, but asked if I'd mind on my day off taking Clint to see the Thunderbirds. I was more than happy to."
Lemmon echoed his words, calling Clint one of her best patients. They bonded on their first meeting; Lemmon watched the boy's vital signs calm when she turned on music for his ambulance ride.
"Usually when we see him, it's at a time of haste and urgency, something's gone wrong," Thompson said. "But today, he was happy. His eyes got real big when we pulled in here. He got a smile on his face. It's been one of the nicest transports I've done in a long time."
Thompson and Lemmon guided Clint's wheelchair as the Bogue family made their way across the runway to the pilots at flight's end. Each of the pilots greeted Clint, taking his hand and thanking him for coming.
Josie was a few paces behind them, and was formally presented to Clint by Lt. Col. Ronald Mumm, lead pilot and Thunderbird commander.
"Today's show was designed for family and friends," Mumm said later. "This is what family is all about. It's a real treat to do this for Clint and his family. ... It's exciting when you get people out to see us, and it's more exciting for me when we get to showcase what the country has for a boy like Clint."
archive
