just writing the word makes me shiver. seriously. i hate it. of course, that is nothing special or new. don’t we all..hate it i mean? it is a primal fear of such. if you are a parent especially. you hear stories and your heart stops. my child. it could be MY child. one day all is fine, the next day there is something. we entered into the world of childhood cancer simple enough. we had a new friend who was a singer. she invited us to come to a benefit for a little girl who had just been diagnosed with cancer. she was going to be singing and wanted us to hear her. simple. we could go, hear her sing and donate a little money. win-win. little did we know that little girl would become a part of our lives and conversations for the next 6 years. her name is Savannah Swandal. and she had rhabdomyosarcoma. a rare and vicious cancer of the soft tissue.
with her gorgeous smile and sparkling eyes she captivated the county we lived in. she captivated everyone who met her. and she fought. hard. for six years and 3 re-lapses. i don’t think anyone ever saw her without her signature smile. she taught those who knew her and those who just knew of her how to live. with joy. with open arms. with HOPE.
yesterday at 12:18. She won her battle against this beast and left it behind and she entered Heaven.
Savannah Hope Swandal….we will miss your smile. Heaven is a little brighter, earth a little dimmer without it.
