Bridgette's Celebration of Life
Donation protected
My name is Erica. This page is dedicated to my beautiful daughter, Bridgette Dawn and to the fulfillment of her final wishes. When you look at the beautiful photos of my daughter, and see the life and spirit in her eyes, you would never guess that she was born with Cystic Fibrosis, a cruel and dreadful disease that she has been battling so valiantly for all of her 20 years.
Bridgette was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis/CEPASIA when she was 3 months old. Her lungs and her pancreas are both affected. Bridgette has been in and out of the hospital all of her life, and has endured over a dozen surgeries. But she is a fighter and has always soldiered on, taking advantage of the hospital stays to make dozens of friends, read voraciously and keep up with her schoolwork. She has taught me everything I need to know about life, courage, strength and love.
For the last three months, however, her fight has been a futile one. We had hoped that she would finally reach the top of the lng transplant list and be given a second chance with a new set of lungs. This was not to be. When Bridgette finally was evaluated for the transplant, it was found that because of her struggles and 20 years of battling this disease, her chest and lungs were deformed to the point that no lung transplant could be performed. Bridgette would not survive the surgery to fix her deformed chest, and even if that was possible, a mature set of lungs would not fit inside of her chest. So, the doctors said that all they could do, at that point, was to make her comfortable for however long she had left.
Which, today, is not long.
Bridgette is dying. She has accepted that, and, after some time, I think I have accepted that, as well. Bridgette doesn't want anyone to feel sad, or pity her, or cry. Bridgette wants her friends and family to remember her and the happy life she has led, despite the illness that has so unfairly shortened her life and her dreams. She wants her funeral to be not one of tears, regret and grief, she wants a celbration of life with beautiful music (her first love), flowers, happiness and joy that she ws allowed to live, laugh and love and defeat her illness for 20 years,
For this celebration, I am asking for help. I want this to be everything Bridgette dreamed of. With friends, family, music and flowers in a space that she loved and felt comfortable in, listening to music and dancing. HIgher Ground, in Burington, Vermont. We estimate that this will cost approximately $3,000. Since i have been staying in the hospital with Bridgette for the last three months, I am unable to do this on my own. So I am turning to all of you, my friends, family, and people who see Bridgette's beautiful face and also want to help fulfill her final wishes, and ask that you consider donating to her dream.
Thank You.
Bridgette's Therapist singing to her
Bridgette was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis/CEPASIA when she was 3 months old. Her lungs and her pancreas are both affected. Bridgette has been in and out of the hospital all of her life, and has endured over a dozen surgeries. But she is a fighter and has always soldiered on, taking advantage of the hospital stays to make dozens of friends, read voraciously and keep up with her schoolwork. She has taught me everything I need to know about life, courage, strength and love.
For the last three months, however, her fight has been a futile one. We had hoped that she would finally reach the top of the lng transplant list and be given a second chance with a new set of lungs. This was not to be. When Bridgette finally was evaluated for the transplant, it was found that because of her struggles and 20 years of battling this disease, her chest and lungs were deformed to the point that no lung transplant could be performed. Bridgette would not survive the surgery to fix her deformed chest, and even if that was possible, a mature set of lungs would not fit inside of her chest. So, the doctors said that all they could do, at that point, was to make her comfortable for however long she had left.
Which, today, is not long.
Bridgette is dying. She has accepted that, and, after some time, I think I have accepted that, as well. Bridgette doesn't want anyone to feel sad, or pity her, or cry. Bridgette wants her friends and family to remember her and the happy life she has led, despite the illness that has so unfairly shortened her life and her dreams. She wants her funeral to be not one of tears, regret and grief, she wants a celbration of life with beautiful music (her first love), flowers, happiness and joy that she ws allowed to live, laugh and love and defeat her illness for 20 years,
For this celebration, I am asking for help. I want this to be everything Bridgette dreamed of. With friends, family, music and flowers in a space that she loved and felt comfortable in, listening to music and dancing. HIgher Ground, in Burington, Vermont. We estimate that this will cost approximately $3,000. Since i have been staying in the hospital with Bridgette for the last three months, I am unable to do this on my own. So I am turning to all of you, my friends, family, and people who see Bridgette's beautiful face and also want to help fulfill her final wishes, and ask that you consider donating to her dream.
Thank You.
Bridgette's Therapist singing to her
Organizer and beneficiary
Erica Helene Devoid
Organizer
Burlington, VT
erica devoid
Beneficiary