I think it is really important to let everyone in on the story of how Kristen left this world. For the most part I was alone with her when she was making her final preparations and preparing to say goodbye. Please know at no time did she ever complain of any pain or even show any fear of death. She knew that heaven held a place for her.
Kristen's rollercoaster fight with a Cancerous Brain Tumor came to a screeching halt at 9:45 Sunday morning September 14, 1997. On Saturday she had been getting progressively worse and congested but was still running around the house...sitting at the computer playing solitaire (her favorite game) and furiously making friendship bracelets from string. Through Saturday night she had continous congestive coughing and got progressively worse. She was still able to get up and walk around and even had some italian ice at 2:30 am and a creamsicle at 4 am. At 6 am she woke up and started playing a game of solitaire again on the computer I had by the couch. She started getting very restless about 7:30 am and I noticed a little blood coming from her mouth. I immediatly called the doctor and the hospice nurse at the same time. The doc said not to worry if she had been coughing that much that it is possible to cough up some blood.
Kristen all of a sudden started talking to people who weren't there and pointing and also yelling at her brother and sister (who werent there either) to be quiet and leave her alone that she was "busy". The pointing and talking went on for about a half hour. I recognized from my readings that this was a sign of her approaching death and her need to finish her business in this world.
Next she began making rapid movements with her hands (so fast I could barely see them) and then she would reach up and give something to a person who wasn't there. This went on for maybe five to ten minutes. I realized she was making friendship bracelets and handing them out to people. She must of wanted a lot of people to have one. She was saying names as she held them out. I kept trying to hold her and at times she was so into making the bracelets she just pushed me aside. She started to stand when she was done and couldn't and I came to her and told her it was daddy and she opened her arms and gave me a hug and a huge smile and said in her raspy voice "I Love you Daddy! " I whispered in her ear that Daddy, Michael and Melanie will be ok and that it was alright for her to go. She smiled and the heavy raspy breathing ceased and she stayed peaceful. I told her it was ok to go to "sleep".
It was then that the hospice nurse got there and said she had a very low pulse hardly any blood pressure and breathing was very slow. She asked if I wanted to call 911 and have her resucitated. And I though a long time and decided, No! I will not put her through any more pain she was ready to go to see the angels and already was at peace. She had finished her remaining tasks here. I ran upstairs and got her brother and sister and had them say goodbye to her. My mom, girlfriend and then Father Joe showed up. Father asked for some oil and we ran and got some and he confirmed her. As he finished his prayer she took her last breath. Almost as if she was waiting for her final blessing.
It was a very beautiful moment. She was at peace. Her message of giving away her friendship and sharing was one that will stay with me for the rest of my life. It is a lesson we can all take with us as our memory of her. Kristen really was a remarkable child,....she shared what she had to give till the very end. She was always happy and smiling and spread her love everywhere she went. Every where I turn in my house I find a note from her that says "I Love You Daddy". She left them in my room, her room, my car, her books, the refrigerator, my office, even in spoken word recorded on my computer....everywhere...to remind me that she was still with me. She was a true saint on earth and now she is one in heaven.
Now Playing is "Tears in Heaven".