- L
- M
On December 6, 1971 my big sister Renée was born. Little did I know that when I came along four years later that I already had a best friend waiting for me. Throughout the years my sister has been a source of strength, support, inspiration, and guidance. While life took us in different directions we always remained close. We have supported one another in good times and bad.
Some of the good:
-Marriage
-The birth of each of her five children
-College graduations
-Finding new love
Some of the bad:
-The loss of our little brother, Kevin, at age 26. A car accident took him suddenly.
-Divorce
-Starting over
-Her fiancé being diagnosed with early onset Parkinson's
In February of 2018 I received a call from my mom. Her voice was shaky and she was having a tough time catching her breath. My heart sank as I had only heard this tone in her voice once before....the day she called to tell me my brother had been killed in a car accident.The words she spoke next would change our family forever.
2:30 pm
"Renée is in the emergency room. We need to go now, she has been diagnosed with cervical cancer and is hemorrhaging." My world started to spin as I began to cry and shake. I rushed to pick up my mom and we raced to the hospital to find my sister in the midst of transfusion, her fiancé Steve by her side. Little did we know that her battle had just begun.
Treatment began immediately with radiation to control the bleeding.
11:00 pm
Steve, Mom, and I sat in disbelief as the Radiation Oncologist spoke to us in the otherwise vacant radiation area of St. Luke's in Boise.
Over the next week Renée would endure radiation, chemotherapy, scans, filter placement to catch blood clots that formed in her legs, countless blood draws, painful exams and bleeding control procedures, and news that the cancer was in her lymph nodes.
The news was devastating, the treatment was even worse. We struggled to stay strong as we helplessly watched Renée go through numerous additional external radiation, chemotherapies, internal radiation, surgery, collapsed veins, daily blood thinner injections, and port placement. The widespread pain caused by the radiation and chemotherapies brought Renée tears, uncontrollable trembling, rocking and nausea. Neuropathy in her feet and lower legs led to an inability to stand or walk. Physical therapy and accupuncture were added to the list of treatments and eventually she was able to walk again.
We celebrated every victory no matter how small. Hope was renewed when it appeared that the three chemotherapy medications were shrinking the tumors, but the celebration would be short lived. Just a few weeks later we learned that the cancer had spread and the lymph node tumors were growing quickly, in particular the ones in her neck and around her heart.
Now, nearly a year after her diagnosis, the cancer ridden lymph nodes are putting pressure on major blood vessels and despite being on the strongest blood thinner available a large blood clot has formed in her Superior Vena Cava.
A few weeks ago we were told there was nothing more they could do and recommed we enjoy the time we have left. The doctors have estimated that Renée likely only has about two months left to live.
My beautiful sister, soon to be my guardian angel. I cannot express the depth of pain in my heart and soul, nor can I bear the thought of life without her, yet I must.
Always giving of herself for others, Renée spent her professional life primarily in education working with young children and providing private education to children with special needs. She worked tirelessly to provide for her five children and often put her own needs and dreams aside to ensure they had everything she could provide.
I am humbly asking for help to make one of her final wishes a reality.
When I saw the memorial angel bench above it took my breathe away and when I showed it to Renée she simply said "it's perfect, it's me."
Please help us make Renee's Angel her final resting place.
With heartfelt thanks.
Her Sister,
Regina
2:30 pm
"Renée is in the emergency room. We need to go now, she has been diagnosed with cervical cancer and is hemorrhaging." My world started to spin as I began to cry and shake. I rushed to pick up my mom and we raced to the hospital to find my sister in the midst of transfusion, her fiancé Steve by her side. Little did we know that her battle had just begun.
Treatment began immediately with radiation to control the bleeding.
11:00 pm
Steve, Mom, and I sat in disbelief as the Radiation Oncologist spoke to us in the otherwise vacant radiation area of St. Luke's in Boise.
Over the next week Renée would endure radiation, chemotherapy, scans, filter placement to catch blood clots that formed in her legs, countless blood draws, painful exams and bleeding control procedures, and news that the cancer was in her lymph nodes.
The news was devastating, the treatment was even worse. We struggled to stay strong as we helplessly watched Renée go through numerous additional external radiation, chemotherapies, internal radiation, surgery, collapsed veins, daily blood thinner injections, and port placement. The widespread pain caused by the radiation and chemotherapies brought Renée tears, uncontrollable trembling, rocking and nausea. Neuropathy in her feet and lower legs led to an inability to stand or walk. Physical therapy and accupuncture were added to the list of treatments and eventually she was able to walk again.
We celebrated every victory no matter how small. Hope was renewed when it appeared that the three chemotherapy medications were shrinking the tumors, but the celebration would be short lived. Just a few weeks later we learned that the cancer had spread and the lymph node tumors were growing quickly, in particular the ones in her neck and around her heart.
Now, nearly a year after her diagnosis, the cancer ridden lymph nodes are putting pressure on major blood vessels and despite being on the strongest blood thinner available a large blood clot has formed in her Superior Vena Cava.
A few weeks ago we were told there was nothing more they could do and recommed we enjoy the time we have left. The doctors have estimated that Renée likely only has about two months left to live.
My beautiful sister, soon to be my guardian angel. I cannot express the depth of pain in my heart and soul, nor can I bear the thought of life without her, yet I must.Always giving of herself for others, Renée spent her professional life primarily in education working with young children and providing private education to children with special needs. She worked tirelessly to provide for her five children and often put her own needs and dreams aside to ensure they had everything she could provide.
I am humbly asking for help to make one of her final wishes a reality.
When I saw the memorial angel bench above it took my breathe away and when I showed it to Renée she simply said "it's perfect, it's me."
Please help us make Renee's Angel her final resting place.
With heartfelt thanks.
Her Sister,
Regina