This is a tribute to our
Loving Daughter Rebbecca
( Becky )
and the devoted and
loving wife of Mark
Born 11/7/1977 Passed Away 24/4/2008
Rebbecca suffered a severe Pulmonary Embolus
developed from Deep Vein Thrombosis resulting from her injured ankle causing her to have a
Cardiac Arrest which in turn caused the Severe Hypoxic Brain Damage.
She was not only our Daughter and the wife of
Mark, but the sister of Angela, Tanya and Emily. An aunty to Mike and
Jake, sister in-law to Scott and a great friend and source of guidance to Craig,
Emily's boyfriend.
She was the perfect daughter and wife an
inspiration to all around her and all who knew her, she lived life to the max no
matter what obstacle was sent her way she overcame it, carried on with a
smile and a laugh.
We love her from the deepest part of our hearts
and she has left a hole in our lives that will not be able to be filled, she
will be greatly missed.
We all Love you dearly Bec and we miss you so much. You will
always live on in our hearts and our memories.
May you be blessed with the wings of an Angel for
this you now deserve.
Sadly Becky's grandmother
(Elizabeth) joined her in Heaven on the 1st July 2008, after suffering with
Parkinson's Disease.
Our two Angels watch over
us.
If you would like to light a candle for Rebbecca
please
click here and follow the instructions.
The Compassionate Friends is a
bereaved parent and sibling support and information centre
Grieving...Healing...Growing
www.compassionatefriendsvictoria.org.au/default.htm
Bereaved parents sharing real grief issues
Dealing with Grief - Grief Support,
Grief Courses
www.selfhealingexpressions.com/dealing_with_grief.shtml
Sharing
a part of Becky's life
Becky always seemed to cop
everything, at 2 years old she was bitten in the eye by a dog and had to have
surgery to put in an artificial tear duct until her own grew back. At aged 3
years she was playing happily with some children when she fell over and broke
her arm, tonsils removed at 5. In her last year of Primary School and fell and
broke her ankle, months later she had to have a cyst removed. In her early 20's
she had the ankle reconstructed as it was never right after she had broken it.
Back in 2003 Beck and her fiancé started to purchase their first home. On 7th
January 2006 her father and I walked her down the isle to marry her fiancé Mark,
they had been living together just on 11 years. In January this year Becky was
suffering severe migraine like symptoms in her eye, she was hospitalized and
pumped full of cortisone for the pain and swelling. Later on that month she was
diagnosed with MS and was in the very early stages and being monitored. Three
weeks before Becky's death she tore the ligaments in her already damaged ankle,
about a week after she slipped on the ramp going into the doctors and further
damaged it. She kept complaining how much her ankle hurt but the doctor just
gave her pain killers. On Tuesday 22nd of April 2008 Becky and her husband came
for a visit. When I kissed her and hugged her goodbye I had no idea what lay
ahead.
At about 2.30am on Wednesday 23rd
of April the Police came and woke us to tell us our daughter had suffered a
massive coronary and she was in the Dandenong Hospital. Upon arriving at the
hospital's emergency I expected her to be awake and on a drip, not lying there
looking so sick, hooked up to a ventilator already in an induced coma. The
nurses told us her heart had only stopped beating for around 4 to 5 minutes,
which we thought it shouldn't be too serious. We were told she would be
comatosed for the next 24 to 48 hours. My two other daughters Angela, Emily and
I headed for home and my husband John left to go to work straight from the
hospital, being positive she was in good hands. My daughter Angela went to work
but ended up coming home a few hours later as she felt too upset, my youngest
Emily decided to go to work as she said she copes better whilst working, shortly
after Angela arrived home just as I'd got off the phone to the hospital. I had
been told Becky was getting admitted to ICU give it a couple of hours so they
could settle her in, I was told that her heart had stopped beating for 40 to 50
minutes. I knew in my heart that this was bad news. When Angela and I arrived in
ICU they told us Beck may have brain damage and they were trying to bring her
out of the induced coma to which she was responding too slowly. We popped out
for a short time so they could do some more tests. On arriving back at the
hospital car park we were greeted by my third born Tanya and her husband Scott,
my eldest sister Olga and my niece Debbie (Olga's daughter). When we got into
ICU I was told Beck had fluid on the brain and the outlook wasn't good.
Later that
afternoon Mark (Beck's husband), Angela, Tanya and I were called into a private
room, the doctor called us together to deliver the horrific news Becky wasn't
going to make it through the night. Craig (Emily's boyfriend) arrived at the
hospital, followed by Emily and John. We sat by her side hour after hour and
eventually her blood pressure become unstable. I was going to loose my daughter.
I could hear myself screaming, crying uncontrollably - yes, this was a child my
husband and I had bought into this world, raised and were now going to loose
her.
That whole day into the night was
so traumatic, so surreal - like this isn't supposed to be happening, not me not
my family. We all stayed around her bedside most of that night. We had a priest
called in to read her last rights.
Late that night John and
Mark gave consent for the Gift of Life people to take her organs as this was her
wish.
At 12.40am on the 24/4/08 Becky
was pronounced brain dead, the day after her Grandmother's Birthday.
Becky's Sharing of herself
to Others through Organ Donation
Taken from the letter
received dated 7th May 2008
Becky's heart was
successfully transplanted into a middle-aged man who had been unwell for some
time. He is recovering well and plans to be discharged home into the care of his
wife and child within the coming days.
The recipient of Beck's
lungs is also a middle aged man. His transplant surgery was successful and he is
recovering on the ward. He has a large and supportive family.
The recipient of Beck's
liver is a middle aged man who had been unwell for a long time. His transplant
surgery was successful and with family support, he is making a steady recovery
on the ward. He is very emotional about the gift he has received.
Beck's pancreas was donated
for islet cell transplantation. The recipient is a middle aged female who has
recovered well and has since returned home to the care of her family.
The left kidney recipient is
a young girl who had been on dialysis for more than 2 years. Her surgery was
successful and she has since been discharged home. She is looking forward to
returning to school.
Beck's right kidney
recipient is a young woman who had been dependent on dialysis for nearly 10
years. Her transplant surgery was successful and she is making a steady recovery
at home with her partner and son.
Both of these kidney
recipients are looking forward to life free from the constraints of dialysis.
LifeGift - Victoria and
Tasmania
Australian Organ Donor
Register
Organ Donation
Network - New South Wales & Australian Capital Territory
Queenslanders Donate
www.health.qld.gov.au/queenslandersdonate
LifeNet - Northern Territory
Donate West - Western
Australia
www.donatewest.health.wa.gov.au
Australians Donate
If your parent or friend has died
If you wish to add to this page please email me at
admin@catchingangels.com
When I was 20 weeks pregnant my waters broke and was told I was going to loose
my baby. I told God not to take my child, and miraculously she went full term. A
bouncing bubbly healthy 8lb 13oz bundle of joy.
They kept her body warm until they found recipients for her organs. By the time
they released her body and we could make funeral arrangements it was eleven days
before we could lay her to rest. She came into this world on a Monday and we
said goodbye to her on a Monday. We had Beck's viewing so immediate family could
say their goodbyes. I will never forget walking and collapsing in the viewing
room, seeing her laying there in her casket so cold, still and lifeless. My
child, my flesh and blood was dead, gone forever from this earth. Never to hold
her again, talk to her, we had no chance to say goodbye life is so unfair! Since
that day my heart has been shattered, I feel empty, angry, have so much fear and
anxiety. Nothing matters much anymore as life is so fragile and I don't trust
it.
I know I still have three other daughters but a huge part of me is gone too and
I know they are missing a part of their mother. I miss my Becky so much as I
know John, Angela, Tanya and Emily do too. I never realized till this happened
how much you can love your child. I would gladly trade places with her anytime.
Thank you for taking the time to read a glimpse of the life and death of
my beautiful daughter Becky ( Rebbecca )
Many tears, you will have cried
But if your child is taken away
Tears will last, forever and a day
If you have a moment or two
I will try and explain to you
Why we will never be the same
And yet we are normal, not insane
To bury your mom or your dad
Is always so extremely sad
But in your heart you always knew
That this is what you’re expected to do
A child should live to say goodbye
To the parent, when they die
Should the child be first to go
A parent's blood, stops its flow
Their heart is shattered deep inside
Wishing they too, could have died
A broken heart is slow to mend
When it shatters, that’s the end
Parents learn to live each day
Hiding their true feelings away
Knowing people don’t understand
Why they need a helping hand
If you should be skinned alive
And this pain you do survive
You will know we walk each day
With our skin all flayed away
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