The Brave Little Roper

In yesterday's El Paso Times newspaper there was an article titled: Ropin' Hope: Clint boy fights rare disease

The article describes Jackson Godwin, an 8 year old young man from Clint, Texas, as something of a magician with a rope -- riding his horse, all little boy, all little cowboy, roping anything that moves, roping the wind -- joyfully roping a big handful of life.

Now he is trying to rope the biggest challenge of his young life,....you see Jackson started having headaches, then came the terrible diagnosis of a brain tumor. After surgery in Fort Worth to remove the brain tumor, Jackson is now in Houston under going a special radiation treatment at M.D. Anderson Hospital.

But every chance he gets, he drops a line in the water -- trying to catch some fish. He loves to fish -- almost as much as he loves to ride and rope. "Jackson is doing real well," said his mother, Janelle Godwin. "He's undergoing proton radiation treatment. It's only been in use four years. It's primarily used on brain tumors."

Ultimately, Jackson was diagnosed with melanoma of the central nervous system -- something so rare that only four known cases exist in the world. Jackson is the only child with it. "He's an amazing little man. He can sure ride a horse. He's won three saddles and around 16 buckles for his roping. And he loves to fish".........."But probably what he is best at is riding and roping,....he can sure ride a horse, that's for sure. He went to Sweetwater,Texas, and won over more than a hundred other little boys.

The days dwindle down as Jackson Godwin hopes to return to his life as cowboy and athlete and church worker and student. In the meantime, his wants and needs are simple enough. He wants three things. "I want to fish and fish and fish and fish. I want a border collie dog. And I want a new roping horse."  Chuckling, Jackson's Mom says, "He's fishing and we got the border collie taken care of Sunday. Now we just need the horse."

Everybody can help by going to the Ropin Hope Facebook page and the Follow Jackson's Bracelets Facebook page Add him as your friend and shoot him a message of encouragement and tell him his is in your prayers.