Candle Story for My Grandmother, Donna

Edge Of The Rain made this candle.

My Grandmother, Donna, died at the age of 50 due to breast cancer. The toll on my father it has taken is great whether he admits to it or not. For me, however, I admit that it has taken quite the toll on me. I have never met her because of this. If she had lasted exactly two more years, I would have known her for 18 days. I was named after her by my father. During the time she was in the hospital, my mother was pregnant with one of my sisters. Donna died on my mothers due date with my sister, so she could have obviously gone into labor at anytime, however, instead of being with my mother, my father spent every night he had with Donna, his mother. This could not have been easy for my mother at the time, though now she shows no regret of letting him go. I, however, feel very left in the dark and cheated. Just two more years and I could have met her. Though it would have been as an infant and I would not remember her, it still would mean a lot just to know that I actually had the chance. One chance to see her beautiful face; one chance for her to meet the child that was named after her, and is now told that she looks like her grandmother. That child of course is me. It will be 17 years since her death on December 20th, 2009. I now wake up in the middle of the night dreaming of her and holding her picture. Though I do not know a lot about her long run with breast cancer, because I never had the courage to ask my father, I do know a lot of other things about her and her life through random stories from her husband, my grandfather. He now lives in Florida with his new wife. That's another point of mine. If breast cancer had not taken her life, he would still be here; I would still have at least him. I look in the mirror now and see her all of the time. To be able to see only me staring back is an ability i have not yet aquired. Women you are all at risk. Please check yourself regularly and have your check ups with your doctors. I may not know alot about the disease, however, I do know a lot about the after affect for the family members of the inflicted. Before another mother, grandmother, sister, or daughter must go through the pain with this, get checked out. Before another girl like me must go through this pain now even though they never met this person. Fighting for the cure is not just a signiture on an online petition. It is a lifetime of work, dedication, and sticking together! This is our time to stick together, for the fallen grandmother, mother, sister, daughter, and friend. As well as the family of those fallen. For the 14 year old girls like me who have the courage to take the time and write this story, for those pregnant women who let their husbands go sit with their mothers at the hospital while they are coming up on their due dates, for those men who lost a mother to this aweful thing, for all those who have lost someone to this, but especially for those who have fallen. Thank you.