Caitlin (my daughter) called me on Monday to tell me that over the weekend, her friend Lily had been in a serious accident. Lily is in the surgical ICU at a local hospital – fortunately, the hospital is probably the best in the state for treating trauma. Right now, there’s a lot of praying, waiting and hoping for the best.
Over the years, I have watched Lily bloom from a little girl into a lovely and confident young woman. In spite of being a little shy, she has scads of friends. She also has a wonderful family, including Jackie, her sweet and gentle mom, who has basically camped out in the hospital waiting room since Lily’s accident.
I haven’t seen Lily in about a year, but when she and Caitlin were in middle and high-school, if she wasn’t at our house, Caitlin was at hers. Jackie and I took the girls to Santa Fe to celebrate the February they turned 13. We shared a suite at an old hotel in Las Vegas, New Mexico and drove an hour south to Santa Fe to tour museums, visit churches, and take pictures. I’ve been looking at those pictures the past couple of days.
Yesterday I went by the hospital, as Caitlin was there with some of Lily’s other friends. Jackie was there, of course, and the minute I saw her, I could feel her heavy heart. She looked so tired. I gave her a big hug. Before I could stop myself before the words, “How are you doing?” slipped out of my mouth. How could anyone be doing under those circumstances?
Women should not be fighting for their lives at the age of 25. Mothers with daughters so young should not have to experience such gut-wrenching anguish. I can only imagine the desperation Jackie feels not being able to hear Lily’s voice. I know Lily is a fighter. Reports are that she is responding to the medical professionals treating her.
All of the usual stuff that I let get under my skin seems absolutely trivial right now. Life can be so fragile. I hold Lily and her family deep in my heart. To visit the website created to keep everyone updated on Lily’s progress and to contribute to her medical costs, go to http://www.lilliancollier.org.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
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About Me
- Haute Flash Blog
- I am a public relations and marketing communications consultant with more than 20 years of experience. I love working with clients who are passionate about the services or products they provide their customers. I take my work seriously, but my sense of humor keeps me from letting life get in the way of my perspective and ability to create. My latest mantra: I'm a work in progress.