My Childhood Friend's Final Wishes

This is the story of my very dear childhood friend Yuri Ortiz.  We grew up together in Chicago, Illinois in the 80s.  We had a pretty awesome childhood.  I was an only child, and always wanted to have a brother or sister, so it was only natural that when I met Yuri, I instantly decided she would be like my little sister.  Yuri is just two years younger than me, so we could still play and have a lot of things in common, but I was also older and still able to take her under my wing and show her things I learned.  Although Yuri did have her own sister, she was much younger, so Yuri loved getting together with me and playing.  We played Barbies, watched movies, went to the park, pool, danced around like fools and did all the same fun stuff all kids do with their buddies growing up.   When Yuri moved away to Tampa, Florida I took it kind of hard, it was sad being far away from each other - but we wrote each other every week!  I still have all the letters we wrote each other.  We were quite silly in them.   When I was a teenager, we both found ourselves once again living in the same city, just in time to get into some teenage mischief together.  We snuck out, crank called boys, went to high school and worked together, and even got to go to prom together with our dates.  Our friendship was one that was desitined to endure a lifetime of ups and downs, moves to different locations, marriages, children... and one day, we hoped... seeing our grandchildren play together. 

Then Cancer happened.  

Yuri turned 37 today (August 4th, 2015) and as she sat in the Hospital today, she was told it's time to fill out Hospice paperwork.  So, here is this beautiful 37 year old childhood friend of mine (who I love dearly), facing the end of her life with her husband, and her three children.   That's not the kind of thing anyone should be doing on their 37th birthday.   So I decided that I would do anything I can to help her and her family during this difficult time in their lives. They are very short on funds, and really need help to make ends meet and be able to afford her final arrangements and final wishes.

Any donation you make would be most appreciated by me, and I am certain will be most appreciated by Yuri and her family.   Please keep her and her family in your prayers.