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Glamour's Women of the Year
UD vs. Northern Kentucky
Magic visits with area students
Cody Holp 'made my spirit stronger,' says friend who created online tribute
At 16, Bluffton bus crash victim helped care for cerebral palsy patient, and their relationship grew.
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
> See the slideshow tribute on Donny's MySpace
BROOKVILLE — — Cody Holp took a job at age 16 as a caretaker for Donald Kirby, a 24-year-old Brookville man who suffers from cerebral palsy.
"I was overwhelmed at his spirit to take care of someone who has cerebral palsy," Kirby said.
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Holp, a Tri-County North High School graduate, was one of four Bluffton University baseball players who were killed along with their driver and his wife in Friday's charter bus crash in Atlanta.
"When you lose someone with that much love and that much character, no matter who you are it puts a hole in your heart," Kirby said Tuesday, his voice choked with emotion.
Holp, 19, worked with Kirby for two years. Kirby fondly remembered Holp driving his van with the seats tilted back like a gangster or sitting in his lap while driving his motorized wheelchair.
"He made my spirit stronger," Kirby said.
Their friendship continued, even after Holp left for college. "He did care about me a lot," Kirby said. "He called me his brother all of the time."
Kirby's manual dexterity is limited to one finger, yet he compiled a slideshow tribute to Holp for his MySpace page. The photos, contributed by many of Holp's friends, are set to Al Green's rendition of Lean on Me.
"Sometimes I teared up as I was doing it, but I kept going because I felt as though that's what he wanted me to do."
Kirby, who plans to speak Thursday at Holp's funeral, also hopes to preserve his friend's memory by starting a sports scholarship in Holp's name.
"Whoever does get the scholarship will know that they need to strive to do the best they can, because that's what Cody did," he said.
Holp's family will receive visitors from 4 to 9 p.m. today at Lewisburg United Methodist Church, 3147 U.S. 40 East. The funeral for Holp is to start at 1 p.m. Thursday at the church.
Also killed in Friday's crash were sophomore Tyler Williams of Lima, freshman Scott Harmon of Lima, David Betts of Bryan, driver Jerome Niemeyer and his wife, Jean Niemeyer, of Columbus Grove.
