The Branfords

While we were at SABS we became close friends of Reg and Diane Branford. They had  two kids, and had a baby soon after school began. As time went on and it was getting close to graduation a call  from Pietermaritzburg came to the school, asking for a preacher. Dad thought briefly that he might try, but decided against it, Reg, however, decided to try out for the job.  The Branfords went down and stayed with people who owned a bulldog. As soon as they arrived there they were told not to venture into the back yard as the bulldog was aggressive.  Sunday morning as Reg was getting ready he looked out of the sliding glass doors which faced on to the backyard, and was horrified to see his toddler out there in jaws of the bulldog which was shaking her like a rag doll. Reg opened the sliding doors, though they were almost impossible to open, rushed out and literally tore the dog's jaws open as he freed his child. She was so covered with blood that he yelled for someone to get the car ready to take them to the hospital. He would not allow Diane to see her face as he held the baby up against his chest. When they arrived at the hospital there was only one doctor there who was free to operate. He was a brain surgeon who had just finished an intricate operation, but the good doctor did not hesitate as he took the toddler into the theatre and performed a  fantastically intricate procedure on the her. The dog's teeth had penetrated her cheek  which required that he sew up the inside of her mouth as well. After they came home Diane was visiting me with the little one and was bemoaning the fact that the child was now terrified of ALL dogs.  Candy, our retriever, was in the lounge, lying quietly at a distance from us, and the toddler would not leave her mother's lap. I looked at Candy and then at Diane and said, "Let me see if Candy can help her." I got up and walked over to Candy ad caressed her. Then I said to the child, "Come and see Candy, she will not hurt you, she loves little girls." With some encouragement from Diane she came over slowly, and Candy, bless her loving heart, rolled over onto her back—the ultimate position of surrender—as the child softly touched her—and so started the healing of a cruelly injured little lady.