You can prepare yourself for death but you can never truly be ready for it

My sweet friend, my rock star oncologist and Moi at last year's GRAPHIC event April 2009

I found out last week that my sweet friend and fellow young survivor was not doing well from her husband. They moved back to MI when she was rediagnosed with stage IV to the liver back in 2007. She passed away April 16^th at 29.

She surpassed the 12 months her doctors gave her. She treated her body like a temple, surrounded herself with loved ones, worked on her new found passion and worked on her bucket list. She left behind a loving husband, her family, members of the Pink Ribbon Cowgirls, the Gilda’s club in MI, all her friends and all the other people she touched by her story. She recreated GRAPHIC and her first annual Bras for a Cause in MI raised about $50,000 and had about 600 in attendance. She started a social networking group up there like the Pink Ribbon Cowgirls. She did all this in her short time in MI and while she wasn’t feeling well.

I knew she wasn’t doing well after reading her blog in January. Her normal positive energy and willingness to fight was waning. We chatted some and she was anxious to get away from the cold and cloudy days of MI to trade it in for sunnier weather in CA. As horrible as she was feeling she made it there and soaked up the sun. She took many pictures while in CA and it will below your mind how beautiful and healthy she looks on the outside even though cancer was winning from the inside.

Sadly I was surprised yet I wasn’t surprised when I heard from her husband that she wasn’t doing well. We did what we could to support them from Austin but it’s never enough. It’s about this time last year was the last time I saw her beautiful smile. January was when we last chatted and laughed. March was the last time we exchanged emails. April 20^th is when I attend her memorial.

She touched so many lives. She loved sharing her story. She loved raising awareness and teaching people about health. She was positive most of the time, and when cancer beat her down, her dear husband helped pick her back up. She would not want us to mourn her loss but to keep living and making this world a better place to live.

She will be dearly missed but I’m glad she is at peace. You can prepare yourself for death but you cannot truly be ready for it.