I have known Vicki for 22 years. She has been a very close friend to me and has, on many occasions, dropped everything she was doing to help me in my times of need. When I was fighting for my life in a hospital hundred's of miles away from my family and friends, she made sure my children had Christmas presents under the tree...when I didn't have the money to buy them gifts. Vicki cooked meals, did laundry, ran errands ...the list goes on and on. She is a true friend in every way.
A few months ago Vicki started feeling weak and "just not up to par", her daughter Jen, after some begging, convinced Vicki to go to the doctor to see what was going on. The news wasn't good in fact, Vicki was rushed by ambulance to a larger hospital, Sacred Heart in Spokane, Washington, that day. She was very near death, diagnosed with acute Leukemia.
Vicki has been fighting this horrible disease for months now, but hope is on the horizon. A donor, a perfect match, for a bone marrow transplant has been found and on Wednesday (fingers crossed), Vicki will have the transplant. The real battle begins following transplant as her body will try to reject the "foreign" stem cells that are meant to save her life!
Every April Vicki and I have a competition. We fill our hummingbird feeders with food and await the arrival of our favorite birds. It's a toss-up as to how many times each of us has had the first sighting over the years. The minute we spot the first bird at our feeders, we call each other. It is my hope that Vicki wins the competition this year.
The following photo and video are to honor my dear friend. I can't wait for you to come home from Seattle Vicki! I love you.
To my readers....please send Vicki your thoughts. You don't need to know her, just send positive energy her way ...please. If anyone wants to send her some words of encouragement you can read her journal and sign her guestbook here: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/vickiluedke ...just tell her "Sharon sent you".
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My thoughts are with her, and with you also. x
ReplyDeleteHope all goes well for her today. A lot of positive energy is flowing her way.
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry to hear about your friend. My thoughts will be with her.
ReplyDeleteJudy
Thank you all for your comments, and thank you Steve for leaving Vicki a note on caring-bridge. It meant a lot to her. I will keep everyone posted. I just had an amazing conversation with her on the phone, we talked for a long time. My heart is full of joy because I got to hear her laugh! She is a warrior for sure! Vicki appreciates the thoughts and prayers sent her way, she said she hopes people continue to remember her...there is great power in people coming together with a common thought.
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