It's Time

Today is my last post. I will close with a copy of the letter we had read at Kristen's Celebration. Thank you for reading my posts. Thank you for praying for us. Thank you.

We don’t need to tell you how much we loved and adored Kristen. She was a bundle of joy from the day she was born. She was always jabbering, always smiling and always laughing. At a young age she had a way of endearing herself to both young and old. We were blessed in watching her take on this disease without fear and with a grace that few can match. She did not pity herself. She saw this as another challenge. When the world said you can’t, Kristen would say yes I can. She was not embarrassed by her bald head and it just made her even more beautiful. We were proud of her in so many ways, but especially the way she behaved towards the medical staff that treated her. No matter how bad she felt she’d say she was, “Ok.” No matter what they needed to do and how painful it must have been, she’d say, “Thank you!”

We want to let Steven know that even though she acted like a typical big sister, she loved you more than she ever told you. Many times she told us how sorry she was to take us away from you and told you that it was okay if you were mad at her. She often said that if something happened to one of us that she wanted to take care of you. She was proud of you and it gave her great joy to be able to pick out your back-to-school wardrobe. She will always be with you and be that whisper in your ear when you least expect it.

We want Kristen’s friends to know that she loved you all. Even if circumstances pulled you in different directions, she held on to the good memories. She was fiercely loyal in defending you and brutally honest when she felt you needed to hear it. You are always welcome in our home and we hope that you take time to swing by, enjoy some good food and tell Kristen stories.

We also want to thank every medical team that worked with her. Thank you to Dr. Magre for following your gut and getting her to the oncologist quickly. Thank you to Dr. Beck and Highlands Oncology Group for your love and compassion during her battle. I know you were as heartbroken as we were when she relapsed earlier this year. I also know you are as heartbroken now in our loss. Thank you to all of the tireless medical teams at MD Anderson who saw our beautiful, vibrant, courageous daughter for who she was not patient number 774486. Thank you to Dr. Kadia – Leukemia and Dr. Popat – stem cell transplant and the wonderful nursing staff along the way. There were many, many others that came in contact with her from housekeeping to specialists. She always had a thank you for you as you left her room. Thank you to the ICU team at Washington Regional Medical Center for fighting hard for Kristen and getting her where she needed to be in Houston. Thank you to the ICU teams at MD Anderson for tirelessly fighting for Kristen and ultimately helping us gracefully let her go.

We are truly overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and prayers from those of you gathered here today and those that can not be here. Your prayers will continue to carry us through the months ahead as we work through our grief. We felt your prayers and they offered us the strength to walk through each day. We are grateful to our friends and the way that you took care of us along the way. You continue to carry us.

Thanks be to God for blessing us with 21 joyous years with this precious gift. She packed more in those years than many could pack in a 100 years. Kristen knew no half measures, she lived life full throttle. She had a strong faith, and she knew where she stood with Jesus. We know that she is there with him now waiting; for what will just be a blink of an eye, before we join her.

We can not close without thanking God for this journey. He brought us closer as a family and closer to Him. And for that, we have no regrets.