Two special ladies, one great story

By Loyd Cook

May 10, 2008 08:47 am

— Last week, I talked about newspaper people being in the truth business. But that was just one area that we gather personal satisfaction from.
Another is being in the “making a difference” business.
Staff writer, and exp magazine editor, Deanna Brown is a perfect person to use this week as an example for this area.
Deanna’s been a good buddy for a long time. She comes into work, does her thing, watches out for her co-workers and is just generally appreciated in the building.
But being mainly a feature writer (in that she doesn’t usually cover any of the controversial issues), sometimes I think she gets overlooked here by the general public.
Then, her article on Kim Chu, the 43-year-old single mother of four who needs a liver transplant. A special blood drive to help her was held May 4.
The blood drive people were hoping to get about 70 units of blood.
They got more than 80, thanks to the caring and giving people we have here in the county.
And I have to think much of the credit for that surprising turnout and giving donations was because of Deanna.
Kind of cool to work with folks like her.
You could run through the list of reporters, photographers, editors, advertising people, and publishers that have been in the Corsicana Daily Sun building during the 112-plus years this newspaper has been in existence ... and nearly every one will have a story they’re especially proud of.
And it won’t be one that is bloody and gory, or filled with scandal, or was sensational.
It’ll be a story where they took some time and did a little extra on one particular story that touched something inside of themselves, made them want to do something to help others, made them want to be a better person than they had been to that point in their own, personal lives.
Likely, no one they work with knows what that story is because they don’t want even the praise or admiration from their peers about THAT story. Because it was partially done for themselves.
Sorry, Deanna.
Kim Chu still has a long road to walk, one that will not be on level ground but will be filled with “hill and dale.” But her walk was made a bit easier by a really cool person.
So, hats off to you Deanna. What you did is one of the biggest reasons I like what it is that we do for a living.
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Loyd Cook is a Daily Sun staff writer. He may be contacted via e-mail at lcook@corsicanadailysun.com

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