ValentineS

Sunday, February 14, 2010

ValentineS

Yes, I mean ValentineS with a capital S.

Tyra found her way into the hearts of many men.

She was Daddy's little girl.

Her Pop Pop's "Miss T"

Her Uncle Bruce's biggest fan!

Mr. Alston's young Queen

Mr. Dumpson's dancing Princess

and of course... she was Glenn's true "lub"

1 comment:

Felicia CoffeyFebruary 15, 2010 at 10:18 AM
Dear Nicole, This is a beautiful site!!! I can see so much more into the beautiful life you shared with Tyra. She was so lucky to have you, as you were to have her. How appropriate that I was able to look at this site for the first time today, the day after Valentine's Day. Yours is a true love story of unconditional love and acceptance. Both you and Tyra gave and received the best from each other. Thank you for sharing that with all of us.

I don't know when this pain of "first and lasts" lessens. I am sure that it never truly goes away. We are coming into months that carry so many painful memories. I am not prepared for it.

I'm sorry that I couldn't be a the meeting today. I feel like reading this site has enabled me to be with you a little. I am thinking of you and I hope to talk to you soon, Felicia
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OUR STORY

During the Fall of 1992 I met & quickly fell in LOVE with the most beautiful brown eyed bundle of JOY. Tyra was just nine months old and was in respite care while her 19yo birth mother, Chelle, was undergoing chemotherapy for Osteosarcoma. Chelle carried Tyra full term but as a result of uterine rupture Tyra was deprived of oxygen which resulted in a diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy. Chelle died in August of 1993, leaving behind her two daughters Tisha (3yo) & Tyra (18mo).

The evolution of our family was complicated but a family we became and how honored I am to be Tyra's mom.

We had an amazing fun filled 15 years which you will discover as the Blog unfolds. In October of 2008, Tyra was hospitalized with GI issues. Up to this time she had only 2 very short unplanned hospitalizations. We spent 6 weeks at AI duPont that October/November with the GI team working her up from 'end to end'. She was discharged in November on TPN with a dx of Pseudo obstruction. I questioned how at 16 this now presents after she spent so many years with great health. Upon discharge we got connected with an INCREDIBLE Diagnostic Referral Physician in hopes of answering this question.

Tyra was re-admitted to the hospital in early February as she was very lethargic and still not tolerating g-tube feeds. With this admission came many new tests. Tests that were sent to outside labs. While we awaited the results Tyra's condition worsened. She had several seizures on the floor and was ultimately transferred to the PICU in a non-responsive state. An MRI showed devastating injury at the level of her brainstem. Three days after this crisis lab results came back showing Tyra to have a metabolic/mito disorder PDCD. I held my sweet girl in my arms as she took her last breaths on March 6, 2009. To say I miss her is far from adequate.