A Legendary Tale of 21st Century Knighthood

© Copyright 2009 by MarlowReview.com  

Posted in: Society
By Kaye Collier
Sep 24, 2009 - 8:55:56 AM
 

After little Porter Boyles was born on July 6, medical professionals at Children’s Hospital in Oklahoma City soon discovered the presence of several major congenital problems within the tiny 6-pound, 12-ounce body.
The child’s heart was found to be on the right side rather than the left, and both of his lungs were crowded into the left side of his chest cavity.
A little-known fact is that in the human body, the lungs are not symmetrical. The right lung has three lobes; and the left one, which is slightly smaller, has only two.
In Porter, both lungs have three lobes.
Within a few weeks, the baby was allowed to go home with his parents, Marlow residents Tyler and Jenna Boyles, and his 3-year-old brother Parker.
But this was not the end of the little boy’s journey toward soundness. It was just a period of rest before the grueling trip began.
Porter underwent cardiovascular surgery on Monday of last week at Dallas Children’s Hospital. At that time, a team of surgeons corrected  irregularities associated with his tiny heart.
Porter’s great-grandfather, Bill Ellis, noted last week that he had heard the intricate nature of the procedure described as “like working with dental floss.”
Of course, Tyler and Jenna were in Dallas for the surgery, as were their parents—Ron and Cathy Boyles of Marlow and Tom and Becky Morphew of Duncan. Bill Ellis and his wife Mary Jo remained behind in Marlow to care for Parker.
Last Wednesday, two days after the surgery, the Ellises received a call informing them that Porter was doing great. His chest remained open from the operation, but he had stirred a little—a remarkable occurrence that had surprised, and pleased, the doctors.
Then on Thursday, the delicate little frame went “under the knife” once again—this time to rectify further abnormalities associated with the heart.
The surgeries were successful, but the odyssey is far from over.
Porter will undergo a third procedure in three to four months, and a fourth at age 3.
But for now, he has the answered prayers of countless concerned parties, state-of-the art technology, and highly-skilled surgeons in his corner. And. . .he’s obviously quite a little scrapper in his own right. Which counts for a lot.

Latter-day knights

Knighthood, as it was understood and practiced during the Middle Ages, passed from the stage of history centuries ago. But during its existence, knights in Medieval times were expected to “protect the weak, defenseless, helpless, and fight for the general welfare of all.”
Although there are no 21st-century “knights in shining armor,” mounted on spirited chargers and bearing weapons of defense to fulfill these responsibilities, knights do exist even today—many of them right here in Marlow.
Instead of chain mail and plates of armor, they wear knit or woven shirts, and blue jeans or dress slacks. Their “steeds” have bumper stickers bearing carpenter’s squares and compasses, and a number of these knights, as younger men, did serve courageously on fields of battle to preserve the liberties of Americans.
Most are 50 years of age or older—at least two are approaching 90—and they are not only gentlemen, they are also gentle men, with hearts easily touched by the misfortunes of others.
Who are these modern-day knights? The men who comprise Marlow Masonic Lodge #103.
When the local group of Masons learned of little Porter’s plight, they decided to do something to help with the Boyles family’s medical expenses and started making plans for a benefit fundraiser.
After all, the knight’s code of honor did incorporate protecting the weak, defenseless and helpless; and who fits this description better than a tiny bit of humanity born with health problems?
Settling on a chicken spaghetti dinner, the Masons chose Monday, August 31, for their benefit dinner and decided to charge $5 a plate.
The women of the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Duncan offered their assistance. They prepared and donated most of the chicken spaghetti, and donors furnished the other supplies for the event.

A cooperative endeavor

The response from the community was tremendous!    
Eventually, emergency trips to the grocery store for ingredients became necessary, and supplementary batches of the entrée were whipped up as provisions began to run low.
After the last patron left the Masonic hall, the sponsors discovered that the dinner had generated an incredible amount of money. These funds, combined with monetary donations, totaled $6,500!
The Oklahoma Masonic Charity Foundation had already pledged matching funds; and last Wednesday, Roland Nee of Lodge #103 had the honor of presenting a check for $13,000 to Porter’s great-granddad, Bill Ellis, on behalf of the local lodge, the OMCF, and the community of Marlow.
Ellis gratefully accepted on behalf of Porter’s family.
After the presentation, Nee, a Pearl Harbor survivor who is actually a resident of Rush Springs but is active in the local lodge, was quick to acknowledge the role that the big-hearted residents this side of the county line played in the success of the project.
“The caring community of Marlow—,” he began, “they were absolutely outstanding, very supportive.”
Another Mason, Brad Bradford, observed sagely, “Things can work out if you work together.”
. . .especially if you have a small band of latter-day knights leading the charge.

*****

An account has been established for little Porter Boyles at BancFirst to assist with the Boyles family’s mounting medical expenses.

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