Parker Lanier undergoes emergency surgery

December 17, 2009 - Parker Lanier, third grader at Leonard Elementary and son of James and Andrea Lanier, was rushed to the emergency room in Greenville with abdominal pain. Greenville sent him to Childrens Medical Center in Dallas by ambulance, which took an hour and a half. They diagnosed him with a ruptured appendix. Parker spent seven days in the hospital. He had not missed any days of school from the time he started kindergarten, so the appendicitis attack also caused him to miss the perfect attendance record.

He did, however, have some happy and exciting time while he was there. Some of the Texas Rangers baseball players came by and visited. He met the mascot, Captain #72, who kept him laughing, alleviating some of the pain of surgery.