Something Great

“The day my mom passed away, our whole family changed. Everyone’s lives changed. Everything just seemed to stop. But on that day, I didn’t just lose my mother, but my father as well.” “They were madly in love. They were perfect for each other. You could see the fear in my dad’s eyes as each day went on with the cancer. I mean, she was his other half, they were soulmates. But after that day, he just became a walking body.” “Months after the nightmare still lived with him.

“When things started to get closer to the end, I could barely keep myself together. I was only fifteen. When I saw my mom get rushed away in an ambulance covered in blood, I fell to my knees and said, ‘Please God, save my mother.’” “When we all got to the hospital, she was screaming with pain. It was so loud, and I was so scared. I felt helpless! Nothing I could do would stop her pain. All up to this point my mom wouldn't let the thought of losing to the cancer enter her th

“The night she died, we were all lost. I couldn't think. The house was just quiet, and you wouldn't even want to get out of bed. As a daughter, losing my mother, my leader created a pain I can’t describe.” “I’ve never seen someone endure as much pain as she did. I saw it day after day. And it wasn't just the physical pain of the cancer and the treatments, but the emotional pain as well.” “Life used to be perfect. We had what seemed the perfect family. And that was her dre

“She was in the worst pain I’ve ever seen anyone in. The worst I could imagine. We were at the house. My mom screamed for my dad. It sounded terrible. We ran to the bathroom where she was. There was blood everywhere. That’s when I called for an ambulance.” “There wasn't much that the paramedics could do. They could only pick her up and load her into the ambulance. We were all in shock. My sister, dad and I drove separately to the hospital.” “It all felt too unreal. She wa

“I ask everyone to leave the room. I lie next to her in the hospital and hold her hand. I whisper some of my last words to her. She opens her eyes, smiles, and I kiss her. It was the most precious kiss we’ve ever had. The doctors then stop the transfusions.” “Late the night of July 23, 2011, while lying next to her, she started to lose more blood. She started to struggle breathing, and her body was feeling cold. I held her hand for nine more minutes.” “That’s when she too

“She would sleep all day at times due to the chemo and massive pain killers. One night, I woke her up around nine to have her eat something. She got up and went to the bathroom. I hear her scream for my name. I rush to the bathroom and the floor is covered in blood.” “She’s admitted to the hospital. The cancer tore up the inside of her body. She’s lost so much blood they have to transfer nearly twelve units of Plasma every four to five hours. It was obvious the end was near

“At times my wife would find me with tears streaming down my face. At times she would find me completely silent. It was the fear; the knowledge I may not have much time to be with her.” “She told me I scare her when I get like that. She didn't want anyone to feel defeated yet. It made her feel like she may not survive this. Whenever I got like that she would whisper to me, ‘Daddy, what would I do without you? I need you more than ever and I couldn't have spent my life with

“It was Monday through Friday, for 24 hours each day she had the chemo pumping through her. It was so hard to see it progress. Soon enough she was terribly sick.” “But Joann was unique. I couldn't do it myself, but she was so brave and strong through all of this. Even stranger, she was tremendously positive. She wouldn't stop planning for our family. The weekend, the next holiday, all the games the girls had, Joann had plans for all of it.” “She even kept going to work! I

“We weren't going to give up. She was as strong as they come. We were going to do everything we could to keep the world’s most beautiful women alive.” “We visited one of the country’s best oncologist in LA. He couldn't believe how mismanaged her care was by the previous doctor. He says she needs surgery and recommends a doctor in Portland. In the meantime, she started receiving chemo treatment.” “We meet with the doctor in Portland. We’re hopeful we could accomplish a sur

“We walked out of the hospital. She fell to her knees in the parking lot and started to cry. She screamed to me, ‘I want to see my girls grow up! I want to see them get married! I want to meet my grandkids!’ That’s when I started to cry.” “I was furious at the doctor. Only now did he show some concern. Only now did he take an interest. He told us how he doesn't know how it got this far.They just found that the back pain was from a tumor; and that the cancer has spread to he