I don’t know what to say. There’s nothing to say that hasn’t already been said by her parents or countless others who’ve loved that sweet grin from up close and afar.
I first learned about sweet Madeline Spohr because she hung out with my other favorite Madeline. I started following daily when she got sick the last time. She passed away suddenly on April 7, 2009. She was four days shy of 17 months old.
That picture was taken just three days before she passed away, the same day she came down with a cough.
Does that not blow you away?
This is what I think is the take-away message of Maddie’s death (because I have to find *something*)… She was born 11 weeks premature. She spent 68 days in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) before she went home. She lived a relatively normal life, save several hospital stays due to diminished lung capacity. She was hospitalized for viruses that probably wouldn’t slow you or me down. Still, nothing prepared anyone for her death in April. She is gone simply because she came too early.
On her second birthday, in celebration of a life that was so much more than that day, please consider donating to Friends of Maddie. Donations go to providing family support packs for families of children being admitted for long-term care to NICUs across the country.
Happy birthday, sweet Madeline Alice Spohr. The world is lucky to have known you, even if only for 16 months.
This was really sweet, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong to add your voice to the others…
She’s a reminder of how quickly things can change, that we have to hold and hug and love our little ones for as long (or as little) as we have them.
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Oh! AND – there is something I want to tell you in an email, but can’t. Because I can’t find an email address for you. So… email me if you get a chance and I’ll tell you a Fun Fact that indicates more similarities than just us both loving the name Violet. (Now it sounds like a bigger deal than it is… ugh.)
Anyway. This comment has NOTHING to do with your post. Sorry about that.
OH (the second!) – I figured you weren’t going to literally TEAR UP the comments on the posts for Solace… just that you were going to release your Incredible Smarts on the comment section, which is a good thing. And I think you’ll get a kick out of all the stuff people said. There was a bit of a, um, kerfuffle (sp?) between two commenters. It was amusing. I’m curious about your take on it.
That is all. Carry on.
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Twitter: mommywantsvodka
says:
Beautiful. You are a good friend.
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children should never die before their parents. it’s just not fair.
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