This is an edited version of an earlier post.

I was invited to spend a day in early September at the Thornhill, Ontario, home of 7-year-old Sarah Watkin. Sarah suffered from acute myeloid leukemia, a terminal form of cancer. Numerous hospital visits kept Sarah away from a lot of things, including the excitement of the Zoo, so the excitement came to her. The Bowmanville Zoo brought over Frieda, a 12-month-old lion cub, to play for a morning.

I can’t thank the Watkin family enough for giving me this opportunity. So very sad to hear of her passing, early Sunday morning.

She can be remembered in this Toronto Star piece:
http://on.thestar.com/1DOliBM