Being a New Orleans native, I know the spooky folklore is only partially true: you can be the victim of a voodoo curse down in the good old south, but its more likely you'll die of alcohol poisoning before you piss anyone off enough to stick pins in a doll made in your image. The threat of alligators is very real, however, as 11 year old Devin Funck can surely testify.
The young man was attacked by a gator in a pond in Slidell Wednesday, which bit off his entire left arm. Unfortunately, doctors were unable to reattach it after recovering it from the alligator's belly. What does all this have to do with games, you ask? Priorities. As soon as Devin saw his mother, his first words were "How am I going to play my game now?" It's enough to make you tear up, isn't it?
Much in the style of typical New Orleans, the alligator was only eliminated after it harmed the child. "Big Joe", as he was called, was a common sight around Kingspoint and Fox Hollow subdivisions near the Slidell area. It's pretty odd to think you could get used to living near a 10 foot, 500 pound alligator with access to maul you at anytime, but like I said, the South is downright weird. Let's hope Devin is able to use some future technology to get his game on again in the near future.
[Via NOLA.com -- thanks, sirhc]
Contest:
5:27 PM on 08.01.2008
| 
Haha Collette why do you pick on the kids???
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7537897.stm
Never give up hope.
BAM!
@Corak -- Yeah, that's right. I think i wrote about it way back when, actually. I hope it might be useful to this kid someday.
I know Im terrible. I think Ben Heck made a customizable one-handed controller for PS3.
Unfortunately this technique has not always proved beneficial throughout history.
Wii if... you know.
Still this is..kinda sad
Seriously, no one has said anything about hit name yet! This is the internet and I expected too much.
I really want to know what made him go into that pond...
It sucks to hear this but I'm sure he will find a way and thank someone that he did not die.
and lol @ pic
It was a bit over 100 dollars, if I remember correctly.
Chin up Devin...now, you can be a cyborg Cyborg Arm
It's great.
Some time ago a dude around here in Hampton Roads got canned for killing an animal even though it attacked him first. I hate PETA.
@Sueng: Alligators aren't endangered, afaik. There are plenty of them around. I've even eaten gator before.
@RonBurgandy2010: Howdy from mandeville.
@XivGNP: Nice :D
XivGNP,
I'm down with donating if you set up an account.
To: All
Posted: Aug 01 08 09:09 PM
Message: 21937.1 (1 of 1)
Hi everyone, I'm from Louisiana and just had a little favor I thought I might ask of some of you on this forum. I know I have met some wonderful people on here from all over the world....Ireland, the UK, different states, etc. We have a little boy from here in New Orleans who suffered a great loss this week, his arm ! It was bitten off by an alligator and they were unable to reattach it. His grandmother is asking that everyone that will, just please send him a message from as many different places as possible and she will hang a map up in his hospital room and put push pins in every place he receives a message/ letter from. He has a long road ahead of him and will suffer post tramatic stress syndrome most likely. His family was just recovering fully from hurricane Katrina in which they lost everything and now this! I know that I feel better sometimes when I feel like I'm helping someone else and I feel that maybe we can bring a smile to this family. Just thought that some of you might like to participate. Thanks everyone.
Please pass this along to all you know. The fund for his medical expenses is at Capital One. My friend Jean was the hostess for Country Kitchen restaurant in Gonzales for many years and some may know her from there. She is also a Beta Sigma Phi Sister.
Attached Message
From: Karen Kimball <mkimball3@cox.net>
To: peggy cassidy <p6cassidy@cox.net>; Mary Anderson <""mary.anderson""@ldaf.state.la.us>; Long, Jimmy (Non Employee) <Jimmy.Long@bcbsla.com>; Phyllis Long <phyllist@bellsouth.net>; Janet Kimball <jntkimball@yahoo.com>; Bernice Kimball <berniek62@cox.net>; CHYREL.WALTON@DPS.LA.GOV; Rhonda Lamindola <rlamendola@cox.net>; rosie fritz <misc000@aol.com>; gljjones@cox.net
Subject: [Fwd: New Orleans' CW38 | WNOL-TV: Update On Gator Victim, Devin Funck]
Date: Fri, 01 Aug 2008 10:35:27 -0500
This is my close friend Jean Duhon's grandson. Please pray for him and help if you can. His family lost everything in Katrina and are still trying to recuperate from that and now they are faced with this. I am reasonably certain there is no hospitalization insurance as well. Thanks.
Attached Message
From: Jean Duhon <missjean1@charter.net>
To: Jean Duhon <missjean1@charter.net>
Subject: New Orleans' CW38 | WNOL-TV: Update On Gator Victim, Devin Funck
Date: Fri, 1 Aug 2008 09:57:20 -0500
Dear Friends and Family
I'm sure that most of you have heard of the young boy that lost his arm in a savage alligator attack. His name is Devin Funck and he's my grandson. Devin is my youngest daughter, Kim, youngest son. Well, to make a long story short, He has a long HARD road ahead of him.
This is a nice story on Devin's accident. I'll get a world map to put in his hospital room and his mother can put a push pin in all the places that the messages come from. Please forward this to friends and family all over the world. His address at the hospital is
OCHSNER HOSPITAL
Devin Funck
Pediatrics room 424
1514 Jefferson Hwy.
New Orleans, Louisiana