My daughter's stepmother sent me the text for the US memorial cards (I'll put up a photo when I receive one). These cards went to those close to my daughter's US family.
ETA the scanned card (thanks, Peter!):A Memorial Celebration to honor Meghan's life will be held at the Eno River Unitarian Church located at 4907 Garrett Road, Durham, on November 7, 2007 at 4pm. Per Meghan's wishes, the attire is VERY casual and if possible please wear something pink.Children are welcome to attend.After the Service, friends and family are welcome to gather at our home at 112 Springdale Way, Chapel Hill. Attached are directions to both the church and our home.In Lieu of flowers, donations can be made to:Meghan's MemorialGarden Fundc/o The Lanier Family112 Springdale WayChapel Hill, NC 27517
4 comments:
Dear Grayson,
Hopefully you remember me. Karen Andrews recently gave me your blog address. Somehow I was vaguely aware of Meghan's illness but it was not until I read the blog that I was updated on the situation as well as the fact that you now live in the Netherlands. Perhaps you remember that I have a Dutch background. In any case, I write to express my sympathy regarding Meghan's untimely death. I remember her as a bright young girl with a very loving and proud mother. I know you will miss her terribly and I wish you love and support as you cope with this deep loss.
Thank you for sharing the announcement for the herdenkingsbijeenkomst. As I have spent 25 years trying to learn Dutch, I must admit it is encouraging to at times be reminded that, yes, I can read this language.
Sterkte met alles,
Margaret Helton
UNC Family Medicine
She was so beautiful . . .
Dear Family,
I am not close enough to attend either memorial service, but you and Meghan are on my mind this sad day.
It's hard to believe that it has been two weeks since your daughter/sister has entered a new realm. Your on-line journal shows that you gave her a full life during her final year. That must have been a difficult decision a year ago but it seems the right one, no matter how painful. The last year of her life was lived a stark contrast to others in her situation.
Comparing her life, the evening Meghan's spirit separated from her physical being, I attended the wake of someone who likewise prematurely departed this world due to cancer. He battled it with the full regimen of chemo/radiation for little more than a year. At his wake the comments were that he looked better at his wake than he had in the last nine months, as the medical course took its toll. An 11 year old girl was diagnosed with cancer and underwent a very aggressive program of chemo/radiation for over a year. After it was completed she died quietly one night in her sleep. Her autopsy did not reveal the cause of her death, but it did reveal that not one speck of cancer remained in her body. Perhaps her heart just couldn't take the course of treatment. Another mother lost her daughter to cancer after a two year battle. The daughter's medical regimen gave her an extra year of life, as her original prognosis was one year, but most of those two years were spent in bed, in pain, recovering from the treatment. That same mother's nephew has been diagnosed with cancer, and given four months to live. With the very best state of the art treatment that four months can only be stretched to two years at the most. Yet the treatment would be aggressive.
Unlike those, Meghan had a full and rich life, eating ice cream, playing with friends and family, creating fuse beads, even traveling to the end. Hers was a tremendously different quality of life in her final year. What a sad heartbreaking decision you had to make, and how self-sacrificing you were to give her that great year rather than trying to selfishly hold out for something unattainable. It was very wise of you to choose what you did.
You have a great voice. Your message to the world should be that there are choices, and more people should be aware of them.
"If I had to live my life over again, I would have eaten . . . more ice cream." Erma Bombeck
Peace to you, your family and to Meghan. I was browing the few bloggers who listed Willie Mctell among their favorite musicians and saw you were also from North Carolina. I came upon your experience as a mom and Meghans experience and feel for you. My father died from Glioblastoma over 15 years ago and I was hoping they had made more progress with the treatment. What else is there to say? Love to you and your family from a stranger in North Carolina.
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