My beautiful niece.

This is my beautiful 6-year old niece EvieShe passed away a month ago very suddenly from bacterial meningitis. It was awful. There was almost no warning. She had a headache and a low grade fever for a few days and then all of the sudden she started seizing...she stopped breathing in the ER and was intubated. The next thing we knew she was declared brain dead. We kept her on life support and she was able to donate five organs...this was a definite bright spot for us, but it has still been so hard.

Evie's mom, my sister, is also my best friend, my world. We are very close. We always have been, but our mother passed away almost 10 years ago from cancer. Since then we gave been even closer.

We have always lived about an hr or so from each other, but about 8 months ago, my husband and I decided to move far away (she lives in Maine, we moved to Florida). Now I'm so far away from her when she is going through this tremendously difficult time. I got to be there while they were in the hospital, and I stayed with her for a few weeks after, but had to leave a few days ago. It has been very hard being so far away.

If anyone has advice on how to support from afar, I would love to hear it. We talk and text all day. Maybe that is enough...I just wish I could take her pain away, but I know I cannot.

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Permalink Reply by Debra A. Whitemaine on March 15, 2014 at 7:57am

Brooke,

I am very sorry for the loss of your niece.  My thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family.  It sounds like you are already doing a lot to support your sister.  Maybe you should ask her if there is anything else you can do for her to help out.  My father passed unexpectedly Sept 2012 after having surgery.  My brother was here in PA with Dad when  he passed.  Due to health issues I couldn't go in the hospital and wasn't there for my Dad or brother.  My brother returned to CA where he lives about 3 weeks later.  My sister lives in TX, so we are all spread out.  Like you we kept in contact thru, text, e-mail and phone calls.  It would be great to see each other more and get a much needed hug but we do the best we can.

I hope this may have helped you some and take care.

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