Two girls got hit by a train while sunbathing on the tracks. Destiny Phaneuf, 13, of Lebanon ME, lost her leg just below the knee; Rachel Brown 14, also of Lebanon ME, lost a foot.
The girls were cutting class and enjoying the sunny weather when the freight train came upon them. There’s no indication the girls were impaired by alcohol or drugs, or that their hearing was impaired by headphones.
What is wrong with people. Accidents happen, but think!
It is very scary how in a few days/hours/minutes/seconds, your entire life can change. However, let me go back to when this first started.
Eleven years ago, my father was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor and they gave him a few months to live. However, the doctors were unaware of his positive thoughts and between family, friends, prayers and a lot of medical procedures/amazing surgeons, he was able to survive 11 more years. The tumor grew back 5 times throughout those years bringing us back to the start again, but each time he had pulled through.
Lets skip forward to 1 1/2 years ago. There was a definite change in his attitude and we knew something wasn’t right. The doctors informed us that he had colon cancer. I was still in my final year at Plymouth State and needed to finish. He was in the hospital on the day that I graduated and wasn’t able to see what I accomplished.
Moving forward to a couple of months ago. We had the routine MRI on his brain and the doctors found out something different. The tumor had metastasized to the other side of his brain making it inoperable. When the doctor told us it was going to be a few weeks to a few months, this time I knew it was real. We have had Hospice care for my father since March 2008 and for a while, nothing seemed different except for a few minor issues. He was even talking fine and playing Cribbage with my mother and I. However in the past three weeks, things started to go downhill. He was having trouble speaking, listening and walking. My mother has MS and a bad shoulder, so she can’t lift him and my other sisters have houses within the area but they can’t help all the time. I am living at home right now helping out as much as I can, but it got to a point where I couldn’t even care for him.
Three days ago (Friday), we had him admitted to the hospice ward of the hospital to get some full help with his care. He seemed fine on Friday and most of Saturday, but the next time I saw him, he had taken a very bad turn. He was very weak and he couldn’t speak. I spent 6 hours with him today along with my Mother and both my Sisters and Brother-in-laws. My Grandmother, Uncles, Aunts and friends came over to see him. At around 6:30pm tonight, I called our Priest to come to the hospital to give him his last rights. We spent the rest of the night talking about different memories and funny stories to tell him, even though most of it included crying. I even contemplated staying the night with him because he was there for me when I was in the hospital as a child, not wanting to be alone. However, I realized that if something had happened while I was there, it would have been very upsetting and I would have had to remember that forever.
Yesterday I was thinking it was going to be a couple of months before he would pass away and today I realized that it will only be a few days. I just hope it doesn’t happen on my sister’s birthday in 3 days. It is hard to think about the fact that he will not be around to meet who I am going to marry, see my wedding or babysit my kids. He won’t even be here for my 24th birthday in two months. I know that God does everything for a reason, but why is he taking my father away from me at such a young age. He is only 55 years old and has been through enough. One day I will understand God’s plan, but it won’t be for a while.
God Bless everyone and I hope that you never have to go through this. It is a scary feeling to know that every time I see him, could be the last time I get to hold his hand, give him a hug and say “I Love You”.
Lately I have been looking up different shows and movies that I remember watching as I was growing up. TaleSpin. It first aired in 1990 until 1994 and was a “spin” off of “The Jungle Book”. Hope it brings you back! (depending on your age) Enjoy!
I am in transit to another bar on the MBTA and I thought I would write a quick post. We have already been to 17 or so bars and it has been awesome. My friends and I met up with a bunch of other people that we knew and traveled around Boston bar hopping. We started at Tequila rain and the Fenway bars and then headed to Allston.
That’s about it since we are getting off the train now.
Enjoy!
