Supposedly, when you break a bone, the place where it heals becomes stronger than before. I'm trying to figure out if the heart works the same way.
Another of the families we've met along our journey has been burdened with the ultimate sorrow. Abbie Waters, the girl who captured Charlotte's eye in the A.S.K clinic with her flowing purple outfit and beautiful bald head, passed away last night at Children's Hospital of Richmond. Her 9th birthday was this week.
I'm not sure how much warning her parents had but we all learned there were no more options just yesterday. The look in Jeff's and Mary Ann's eyes when I visited was so horribly familiar. I was very thankful that Abbie's room was filled with people who love them. They will need that love and support as they move through their grief.
Please keep them, and the (too many) other families dealing with this awful, crappy, sucks to the "N"th degree disease in your hearts and love on your own families like there's no tomorrow.
As for me, I fell in love with Abbie pretty much the same day Charlotte did. It's very simple: At that one particular moment in the clinic, when Charlotte caught sight of Abbie and would have rather looked at her than whatever Dora or Diego video was cued, Abbie helped make my daughter happy. To me, that was a priceless gift for which I will be forever grateful.
And my heart is broken again.
Beautiful post- many prayers to Abbie's family and friends.
ReplyDeleteMy heart breaks, too. You dont know me, but I've been following your blog ever since Abbie told me about her friend Charlotte.
ReplyDeleteAbbie was truly a ray of sunshine and loved by so many. I also, fell in love with her the second she walked into my classroom in 2008. Beautiful post.