Oklahoma tornadoes: The 'Big Dog,' the little boy and the hug that triumphs over tragedy
Oklahoma tornadoes: The 'Big Dog,' the little boy and the hug that triumphs over tragedy
Hezekiah Darbon often will bolt through the front door without knocking and make a beeline for the fridge. Or better yet, the freezer in the garage, since that's where Diana Routon stashes the popsicles and ice cream sandwiches.
Diana Routon gently taught the neighbor boy. “You need to ask,” she told him. “And you really need to knock.”
Hezekiah learned to ask. But he never really learned to knock. Felt too much at home around Big Dog, Hezekiah's nickname for Jim Routon.
“I've told him, you don't have to ring,” Routon said.
And Monday, after another killer tornado roared through Moore and southwest Oklahoma City, and chaos reigned at Briarwood Elementary School, Hezekiah would do no waiting when he spied Big Dog.
The embrace of a 6-year-old first-grader and his 47-year-old neighbor has become the prevailing image of the tragedy. A shining symbol of thankfulness and togetherness.
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More: http://newsok.com/oklahoma-tornadoes-the-big-dog-the-little-boy-and-the-hug-that-triumphs-over-tragedy/article/3833468
The kid's nickname is Little Dog. Go OK dawgs!
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