Putting things in perspective...

Tonight I checked our marathon blog - I know I am a blogging nut...one of my fellow team mates had posted an email from one of her donors. It really placed things in perspective and made me reflect on how grateful I am for family, friends, and to know that, when I complain about silly things, someone always has it worse. Check out her email - so very touching!


Much to my surprise, I received a pretty sizable donation last night from a teacher from my highschool (I recognized the name but I had never known her). About 10 minutes later I received the below email... I warn you, it's a tear jerker, but it really is amazing who you touch and the connections DFMC allows you to make with people who you may never have spoke with otherwise...

Dear Lauren,Bill told us about your endeavor coming up in a few weeks and I wanted to wish you good luck! I also wanted to tell you about my connection to your mom. You were a senior my first year at LFA and since I didn't teach you, I didn't know you personally but I knew your sister because I coached volleyball with Ardelle. I knew your mom also because she never missed a game. I remember when Ardelle had her first child, Yvie, and she asked me if I could hold Yvie during the varsity game because her husband was not going to be able to make it to the game. Yvie was only about 4 months old and naturally I obliged. But before I had the chance to make good on my promise, your mom stepped up and asked if she could hold the baby. She said that she loved babies and that she would love to help. Of course Yvie did not say a peep in your mom's arms throughout the whole match. Now fast forward to July 13, 2005. I was 33 weeks pregnant with my third child and I was about to leave for a doctor's visit to have a level II ultrasound on the baby. I had been having ultrasounds throughout the pregnany due to a low lying placenta but the most recent ultrasound was a little odd so the doctors requested the level II. Just before I left, I decided to check my email and it was then that I learned about your mom's passing. I was so stunned because I did not even know that she was sick. She never let on that she had just been to a chemo treatment at any of the VB games. She always looked so healthy to me. I was so sad to read that email. About an hour later after the level II ultrasound, I learned that my baby had a massive invasive brain tumor. It was so large that it had consumed almost his entire brain. I was devastated. We talked over our choices (we could either abort or deliver the baby but we were assured he would only live 10-20 minutes). I never even considered aborting the child so on July 25, we delivered him about 5 weeks early so that we could have a chance to meet him and love him. If I had waited until he was full term, he probably would have been stillborn and I didn't want that. He ended up living for 17 hours and we were so happy that all of our siblings and parents were able to meet him and hold him. It was actually as good as could have been expected. So as I grieved the loss of my baby boy, I kept remembering when your mom was holding Yvie Gerber and just loving her to death. I hoped that maybe my baby Evan and your mom would perhaps meet in the afterlife, and she could hold him and love him the way she did with Yvie. I still to this day think about your mom often and I hope that maybe she is looking out for my baby. I hope that is not selfish of me. I just miss him so much and it really helps me to know that just maybe he and your mom have met. I regret not paying my respects in person at your mom's funeral, but I was so depressed knowing that my baby was going to die as soon as I delivered him, that I just couldn't bring myself to go. I also wanted to send my condolences in a card and I regret that I never did that either. I hope that you and your sister and dad know how special your mom was (and still is) to so many people. I commend you for your effort in this marathon and I wish you good luck in all of your future endeavors. I think of your mom often and I will continue to think of her. I am very lucky to have gotten to know her, even just for a short while.