A Tale of Two Fathers

I can't help but compare the visuals.

Wednesday of this week, the parents of Evan, an Ontario boy, sat on a couch. Evan's younger brother sat between them. Three faces like crumpled Kleenex.

The boy, Evan, died of the H1N1 virus on Monday. On Friday he had a bit of a cough. He played in a hockey tournament over the weekend. He had fever and began vomiting. His parents took him to a clinic, but he was sent home with over-the-counter drugs. Monday morning, his fever broke and they thought he was getting well. Later that morning, Evan collapsed. He died suddenly on Monday.

Compare that to the mental images you have of the post-escapade "Balloon Boy" and his parents. Same scene: a couch, parents, their sons. In this case, three confused young boys sat squeezed between two distraught-looking parents. Emphasis, as we now believe, on the "looking."

Two fathers. Two countries--but the country makes no difference. Canadians can be morons about reality television. American children die of H1N1.

Still, the visuals. The couches. Two fathers. Very different fathers. And their sons.