|
In Loving Memory of Lacey
Jo Simmons
Lost on April
16, 2008
 
Lacey Jo turned 14 in
February 2008. She was a beautiful, outgoing
funloving young lady. She loved riding her
horse and any kind of sports. She played
basketball, softball and ran track. Softball
was her favorite. We were at a soccer match
on a Friday and she started running a fever.
I took her to the doctor on Tuesday because
we thought she had mono. The test came back
negative. The next morning she wanted me to
take her to the ER so off we went. Lacey
threw up for hours, but they could not find
anything wrong. They took a chest x-ray but
couldn't find anything. They kept us
overnight and x-rayed her again the next
morning. They rushed us off to St Francis in
Tulsa. They had no idea what kind of
pneumonia she had. We got to Tulsa on
Thursday, March 6. They told us she
Mycoplasma, part bacteria and part viral.
Lacey stayed in the hospital ICU for 7 days;
she was on oxygen, but she was talking and
texting. I could tell she wasn't getting
better, but I had no idea how bad she was
getting. On Wednesday night, she was getting
worse; her chest started to burn and they
said her air sacks in her lungs had
ruptured. The next morning they put her on
an ECMO machine and thought after about two
weeks she would be ok. After 14 days she
started to bleed in her chest. They went in
and tried to stop it , but it started up
again the next day. We had to take her off
the machine. No one thought she would make
it without the machine but she did. It was a
roller coaster ride. The doctors placed her
on the oscillator thinking it would help.
Lacey could not maintain high enough o2 sats
without lots of oxygen. We would turn the
oxygen down and she would do ok for a couple
of days then she would go back down. We lost
Lacey April 16,2008 at the tender age of 14,
but this young lady touch thousands of
people during her 6 week battle with ARDS.
She brought a town to their knees. There was
not a sign or car in town that did not say
"Pray 4 Lacey." They made Prayer Warrior
t-shirts and had prayer meetings all for
Lacey. I will never understand why the Lord
chose to take my Lacey but I know she has a
Crown of Gold.
Super girl's Mom
Leisa
|
|
In Loving Memory of Mark Gregory Ryan
September 18, 1974 –
October 17, 2007
To the Family and Friends of Mark Ryan:
First I would like to thank all of you for
your friendship, love and support during
this most difficult year. It has meant the
world to me. Mark would've turned 34 years
old last Thursday, September 18th. I did a
special little ceremony of my own at his
brother, Aaron's grave site (Sudden Infant
Death, 1973) at Oakwood Memorial Park,
Chatsworth, California. It was Mark's wish
to rest near his brother.
The family has found a beautiful resting
place that Mark especially liked. It is at
the foothills of the Santa Susanna Mountains
and it overlooks the whole cemetery. It is
located at the far northwestern part of
Oakwood Memorial Park near his brother's
final resting place in a section called
Willows Heights.
Also as most of you may know, Mark was
cremated and his ashes have been spread
around the Island of Oahu in Hawaii and in
the Rincon waters in Santa Barbara County.
These were two of his favorite places. Mark
was exceptionally talented at creating music
and businesses. His vision was unique. He
was also a avid Lakers Fan.
Mark got sick in February 2004 with sepsis
and was in the ICU for seven weeks. He
miraculously recovered against all odds but
he also had RSD (Reflex Sympathetic
Dystrophy) an incurable neurological
disorder that has a pain level higher than
cancer. Please visit
www.rsds.org.
The family is having a fundraiser for a nice
memorial marker in Marks honor. We are
humbly asking for your help. Any donation
will be appreciated. Our goal date is
October 17th because that will be the one
year anniversary of his death.
You may make a donation online by using
Fundable.com, scroll down to the bottom of
the page and type Mark Ryan in the search
box or for your convenience click on the
following link:
https://www.fundable.com/groupactions/groupaction.2008-09-24.4578584003/view?searchterm=mark%20ryan
Fundable.com is a trusted website tested by
SafeShoppingNetwork.com, one of Mark's
creations. If you feel uncomfortable doing
this online you can use my home address and
the amount will go directly into a special
fund that we have started.
Please pass this letter to anyone you know
that may be interested in helping with
Mark's memorial marker. There are so many
people out there that I do not have email or
regular addresses for that were so gracious
to me at Mark's memorial. I thank you from
the bottom of my heart.
Thank You, Patty
(Mark's Mom)
Patty Shennum - 5709 Calvin Ave. Tarzana, CA
91356
patty@safeshoppingnetwork.com
|
|
In Memory of Frances K.
Powers
March 6, 1932 –
November 8, 2007
Readington
Township, NJ
Frances K. Powers, age 75
years, of Readington Township, NJ, died on
Thursday, November 8, 2007 in the Hunterdon
Medical Center, Raritan Township, NJ.
Born in Perth Amboy, NJ, March 6, 1932,
daughter of the late Joseph and Frances
Kosturski, she had resided in Readington
Township, NJ since 1973, having formerly
lived in Woodbridge, NJ.
Mrs. Powers was employed by Van Sycle Auto
Agency, Perth Amboy, NJ for fifteen years
and later by Perth Amboy National Bank. She
was a Communicant of St. Magdalen Church,
Flemington, NJ.
Surving are her husband, Robert P. Powers; a
son, John R. Powers of Hillsborough, NJ; two
daughters and sons-in-law, Lynn Powers and
Matteo Giordano III of Hillsborough, NJ, and
Lori Jane and Steven Pasternack of
Hillsborough, NJ; a sister, Valerie
Kosturski of Perth Amboy, NJ; and nine
grandchildren.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be
celebrated Monday at 10:00 a.m. in St.
Magdalen Church, 105 Mine Street,
Flemington, NJ. Entombment will follow in
St. Magdalen Mausoleum, Flemington, NJ.
Calling hours will be Sunday from 2-4 and
7-9 p.m. at the Holcombe-Fisher Funeral
Home, 147 Main Street, Flemington, NJ.
Please visit
www.holcombefisher.com for further
information or to send condolences.
Memorial contributions
may be made in Frances Powers' name. Please
send to:
ARDS
Support Center, Inc.
7172 Regional Street,
#278
Dublin, CA
94568-2324
www.ards.org
|
|
In Memory of Chanda Elaine
Wheeler
August 15,
1976 – April 18, 1997
Indianapolis,
IN
Chanda was born on a
foggy August morning, she passed on a cool
April afternoon. After a 7 week fight, ARDS
had finally taken over her body. Her body
went thought so many changes during this
time, it was almost hard to tell it was
Chanda. In the end as you could tell time
was near, the swelling in her face and body
went away and she returned to the beautiful
20 year old she was before this dreaded
disease. We all miss you Chanda. If I could
tell you just two things that I know you
would hear they would be: One, I love you
dearly, and Two, you have two of the
greatest sons ever born. You will always be
a part of our lives.
Love, Dad
|
|
In Memory of Gerald
Franklin Harris
Gerald was my brother and
a champion. In May of 2005 he was diagnosed
with stomach cancer. He was devastated at
first, but quickly recovered to announce
that he would 'beat cancer'. The surgeons
removed two-thirds of his stomach and part
of the esophagus and put it back together.
He came to my house to get his chemo and
endured that for four months and gained 30
pounds due to my constant food pushing. He
acted like I was a pain, but he really knew
I was obsessed with him surviving. He
returned to Wichita Falls, Texas to get
radiation. When he finished his prescribed
treatments, the radiologist asked him to
come back eight times for more. Jerry did
and ultimately ruined what was left of his
stomach. He began to lose a lot blood and
actually had 30 units of blood over a six
week period. I brought him back to
Richardson, Texas with me and he was
admitted. His only choice at this point was
to remove the stomach completely, and he was
now in serious condition from blood loss and
aspirating blood and gastric juices into his
lungs. He went into surgery on April 13th,
and came out and went directly to the ICU
where I heard my first ARDS diagnosis. He
remained there for almost four weeks
paralyzed and sedated. When they
discontinued the drugs, my brother never
responded with much more than an eye lash
twitch and a tiny reaction to deep pain.
They said he had slow brain activity. My
response was that runs in the family�he will
be fine and if we have to help him for the
rest of his life, we will. Jerry began to
lose his ability to keep his blood pressure
up and we had a frightening night on the
tenth of May. Jerry died in my arms on the
eleventh of May with me still telling him
how loved he was and how valuable he was to
all of us. He left three children: Gerald
Harris Jr., Christopher Harris and Meghan
Harris, as well as a lot of people who miss
him dearly, including me. I swore to make
ARDS my own personal enemy that morning and
after he is resting, the war will begin.
Never have I seen such a dreadful syndrome
as this take the lives and energy from the
patient and the family. Jerry, we know
wherever you are, you are enjoying a good
joke and feeling safe knowing all of us you
left love you greatly and always will.
Ellen Crockett
|
|
