Miss Candy Apple and a simple act of kindness
Miss Candy Apple is a name that can bring joy just hearing it — or at least a little grin.
But in light of the miniature pony bearing that name, it’s hard not to smile wide when you meet her.
Anytime Jordan Bruner saw her on his way to work driving along State Road 56, she made him happy. It was something he looked forward to seeing as he was going through some hard times in life about a year ago. He always said he would have a good day if he saw her.
It was a regular occurrence he looked forward to until earlier this year when he quit making that trip down to Jasper for work.
At least until recently, when some severe pain in his abdomen led to multiple trips to Jasper for hospital visits.
At first, they thought it might be appendicitis. However, a doctor’s visit and a scan later, the news wasn’t good. The 30-year-old was told there was a mass on his small intestine. It could be cancer.
On the day Jordan was driving to Jasper for his first oncology appointment to find out if he had cancer, he saw Miss Candy Apple in her field. His mom, Danielia Ferguson, was with him as they drove by, and he told her he knew everything would be okay because he saw the pony he had so looked forward to seeing in the past.
She was his good luck charm.
The news from the oncologist wasn’t good. Jordan was diagnosed with high-grade follicular lymphoma.
Since that diagnosis four months ago, he’s undergone three surgeries, multiple lab draws and IVs, CT and PET scans, numerous doctor’s appointments, preparation for chemotherapy, the placement of a central port, and an overwhelming amount of instructions on how and when to take his medications.
To help keep his spirits up through all of this, Danielia found out who Miss Candy Apple belonged to and reached out to ask for a favor.
Jesus Monarrez, the Chief Deputy at Dubois County Sheriff’s Office, was in a Dubois Volunteer Fire Department meeting when he got an unusual text.
“Great,” he thought. “Someone else is gonna complain that Miss Candy Apple is out.”
Miss Candy Apple is an escape artist who regularly lets herself out of the gate. “She’s like the neighborhood dog,” Jesus said. “She lets herself out of the fence, visits the neighbors, drinks out of the pond, eats out of the garden a little bit.”
And if she is caught outside the fence, Miss Candy Apple knows what’s up.
“I can start walking towards her, and she runs towards the fence and throws it up with her nose and then runs in,” Jesus explained.
The family has had Miss Candy Apple for about five years now. “My oldest — he’s 10 now — wanted a pony,” Jesus said. “He saved up money from birthdays and stuff, and my wife found her in Illinois or Kentucky, I don’t remember.”
She came with the name.
But as Jesus read through the message from Danielia, he saw a mother’s request for her sick son. She explained the connection between Miss Candy Apple and the cancer Jordan was facing. She wondered if she could get some of Miss Candy Apple’s mane hair to give to Jordan for luck. And maybe a visit from her and her son to meet the little pony sometime.
“I’m in this meeting, and I can’t even look up because I’m tearing up,” Jesus said.
Cancer has a heavy hand in Jesus and his family’s lives. About six years ago, he lost his 14-year-old nephew, Ayan Bravo, to osteosarcoma. Jesus was very close to him. He had been at the bedside with the family, holding Ayan as he passed away.
“All those memories came back,” he said.
Danielia ended her text.
Jesus decided to arrange a meeting between Jordan and Miss Candy Apple. A few days after receiving the text, he told Danielia he would be at the Lange-Fuhs Cancer Center with the pony on Monday, ready to meet Jordan before his 8 a.m. appointment.
Daniella was surprised. “I was really touched by it because a lot of people aren’t that personable, especially to strangers, especially nowadays,” she said. “I cried the night before just thinking about it. I was just so thankful for him.”
Danielia didn’t tell Jordan about the potential meeting, but they left a little earlier than usual. He was confused when they got out of the car and didn’t walk right to the Lange-Fuhs Cancer Center entrance. He asked his mom where they were going.
“I said, ‘Well, there is someone I want you to meet,'” Danielia said.
Jesus saw them walking over, so he got Miss Candy Apple out of the trailer and watched as Jordan realized who he was about to meet. “He had a smile on his face,” he said.
It was just a simple, quiet moment of joy as Jesus introduced himself and Miss Candy Apple to Jordan. Danielia gave Jesus a happy, tearful hug, and the three stood there quietly, allowing Jordan some time with the pony before he went into his first chemotherapy appointment.
“I was really surprised,” Jordan said about Jesus’ act of kindness. “It made me feel good.”
He was surprised that someone he had never met would make such a wonderful thing happen.
That kindness brought a bit of light into what would be a tough day for Jordan—something he could carry with him through the next six months of chemotherapy.
“I hope that Jordan sees that people do care and he’s not alone in the fight, so I think that hopefully, this is empowering to him and everybody that is fighting cancer,” Jesus said about the moment. “Because cancer is a bitch. It sucks. If there is one thing I could get rid of in this world, it would be cancer.”
Jordan’s doctors say the lymphoma isn’t curable, but it can be managed after the initial rounds of chemotherapy are finished. Along with his mother’s love, he has felt the support from his friends and his high school classmates from Springs Valley.
In a Facebook post outlining what had occurred, Danielia said, “Jesus, you are a hero in my book and I cannot thank you enough for being such a wonderful human being! … Today was better for us, because of you!!”(sic)
Monday evening, Jesus’ phone began blowing up as Danielia’s thankful post began to spread. He was overwhelmed by the messages pouring in congratulating him for his act of kindness.
But he didn’t know what to do with the emotions welling up.
It was just the human thing to do, he said.
The world thirsts for small acts of kindness.
And amid everything going on in his life, it wasn’t hard to do.
“Everybody just needs to do a good deed, and this world would be so much better,” Jesus said. “All it takes is just being a good human being.”
And, sometimes, a Miss Candy Apple.
Jordan cannot work as he goes through chemotherapy. To help raise funds for his fight, a family friend is raffling a custom backyard firepit swing/seating area.
In addition to contacting them by phone at 812-827-6758 or 812-449-8650, they are accepting ticket purchases and even donations if anyone would like through Venmo at tyler-ferguson-73; PayPal at tyler_ferguson33@icloud.com; or Zelle at Jeffrey Hooten 8123498650
