Update on Mandy

This picture is so special to me because it is the first time that Mandy met Myah, today. Myah went right in bed with her despite how nervous she was to enter the hospital after all she went through last week! I took this picture with my camera phone.

My family and I were up at the hospital with Mandy today and I can honestly say that all of us are amazed at how well she is handling this situation. I walked in her room and her niece and nephews were in her bed with her, lifting her up and down, she is smiling from ear to ear, taking their pictures with her cell phone. She then turned the camera to Myah and Dayton and started snapping theirs. Mandy has always been the little spit fire of our family, ever since she was very small, we knew that she was not going to take anything from anybody. I think God planted that spirit in her knowing the challenges that she would face in life. She is one of the funniest people I have ever met, God also has blessed her with the gift of humor. She loves to make jokes, laugh and have a good time. She has a huge heart, I have never seen anyone love her family and pets so much. She has raised and bred German Shephards for several years now and they are her babies. Mostly they are raised to become police dogs. Even with all of her disabilities she has been able to take care of her 7 dogs. Today one of the only times she started to cry was when she talked about her dogs sensing that she was dying. She has never married, and has no children so her dogs are her life as you can imagine.

During Mandy's life she has had so many surgeries on her little legs and feet, sadly it became normal for us to see her with crutches at a very young age and then braces, and wheelchairs. Amazingly, these things never got in her way, ever. She would walk, dance, swim and play just like all of us kids. She never once complained, I can honestly say that. I have never heard her complain about her disablities. She is very knowledgeable about her diseases and is very pro active in her own health. I am ashamed to say that I did not know she was this bad. I don't get to see her as much as I used to. She lives about 3 1/2 hours away from me now, so when I got the call today, my heart just sank. I knew that this was a disease that had taken its toll on her body through the years but I never imagined that at 31 years of age she could be taken from us. Mandy is a very spiritual woman and believes in a wonderful God. However, she is a bit scared right now, she told me she isn't sure if she is ready yet. She met with Hospice today and will be going home under their care in a few days. We don't know how much time she has left with us. She lost her dad just 2 years ago and she knows that he is waiting for her. However, she doesn't want to leave her family and her dogs, she doesn't want them to hurt. She has such a great attitude and is laughing through the tears, it is hard to get caught up in the seriousness of it all with her. She told me today that she just signed up at her church to help out with teaching the children, she said, "wow, I am a really great helper, I sign up and then I die on the kids". That is Mandy. She makes jokes to get through the tough times. That is how our family deals with life in general. We are a goofy, laugh till we cry family. And when one of us is hurting, we all are hurting, and we try to lift each other up with our humor. It works.

I just ask for your continued prayers for her and our family, especially her mother MaryAnn and her brother Cleo. Melanie and I were talking tonight and we are still in shock, all of us are actually. But we are banding together and will make the life that Mandy has left with us meaningful and special. She is the baby in our family and we protect her as you would expect. She is too young to die, bottom line, but we will be strong for her sake and draw upon the Lord for guidance and strength. Thank you all for your love and support once again, gosh I sure have said that alot lately haven't I? I sure appreciate it and I will let Mandy know about all of the special prayers being sent up in her honor. Love you all.