Angels in Pink - Kathleen's Story
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Three young girls, three best friends, Kathleen, Holly and Raina, join up as volunteers at the local hospitals. The volunteers are called "Pink Angels." Soon to be Juniors, these girls have been best friends since Grade 6. They do everything together and they share everything, even their deepest secrets about their blossoming romances. Each girl enters the volunteer program for different reasons; each girl benefits from their experience in a different way. For Kathleen, her experience is a chance encounter with a poor little rich boy who can't seem to stay out of trouble.
I couldn't help but like these three girls; but especially Kathleen. Her mother has multiple sclerosis. Her father is dead. Kathleen's story demands our sympathy. Here she is, a young teenager, on the verge of starting her first romance and she bears the reponsibility of being the primary caregiver to her mother, handicapped from a disease that has confined her to a wheelchair. Kathleen's only escape is her volunteering at the hospital and her friends.
At orientation day, Kathleen meets Carson, the rich kid who has everything and goes a prestigious private school. Carson's parents and older siblings all have successful medical careers. Carson feels like the black sheep of the family and is constantly getting into mischief. He is strangely attracted to Kathleen, the quiet girl who spends most of her spare time looking after her sick mother. The theme of opposites attracting underlines Kathleen's story, as she finds herself strangely drawn to this troublemaker. Carson admits, more than once, that the only reason he's in the hospital volunteer program was because his parents forced him to participate, in the hopes of rescuing his character and his sense of honour. Kathleen resists Carson, which only attracts him more.
Kathleen tries to put her feelings aside and focuses on her mother, her friends and her volunteer work. Carson eventually wins her affection when he appears on her doorstep one evening with pizza. Unfortunately, an evening out with Carson ends on a sad note as they return to Kathleen's home to find her mother on the floor unconscious and barely alive. Carson takes control and proves his medical inheritance by resuscitating Kathleen's mother, making his parents proud. Kathleen's friends and Carson stood beside her and helped her through a very difficult time.
This is a very endearing story about friendship, about growing up, about responsibilities and about caring for one's family. These are teenagers that I can relate to. They are strong characters in their own right and although they have their problems, they find suitable ways to overcome their problems. Kathleen's mother was often demanding and much of the time Kathleen felt trapped in her own situation. Her two friends had their own parent problems. Even Carson differed from his parents, mostly from his sense of isolation since his parents never seemed to be around.
Growing up is tough. Understanding, compassion and true friendship with both peers and parents, as well as getting involved in the community, are the keys to survival and success.
