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Connie O'Connell

by Adrianna from Fresno

A personal picture Of Connie
A personal picture Of Connie

Connie O'Connell was a young girl who was born on December 17, 1993. She was a early gift to the family before Christmas! She was a very beautiful child that had always smiled. Till eleven months later Connie was diagnosed with Lymphocytic Leukemia. Doctors at Johns Hopkins said that Connie had a 8% chance of living. Her parents were very upset, so they fought the odds and she went into remission months later. Remission is a condition where doctors think that people with cancer like Connie's might have been cured. She was fine until the cancer cells took over her body once again in 1996. With a 1% of survival chance they decided to do a BMT, which is a bone marrow transplant. This is located in the tissue in the interior of bones. This transplant is suppose to help severe diseases of the bone marrow including some parts of cancer. Although sadly, in Connie's family there was no donor similar to hers.

School picture of Connie (myhero)
School picture of Connie (myhero)

Until her sister Liz, who was glad to help her own sister, after the transplant summer started in 1999. Although Connie had to stay in remission, where she had tubes and wires always stuck to her body. She couldn't swim or ride her own bike but just lay there in the hospital. Once summer ended, months passed and October came by. Before Halloween Connie went home to carve a pumpkin with her family on the front porch. Sadly did they know that would be her last time to visit or see her own home. Things didn't get any better for her by November. She relapsed and the family decided to get another bone marrow transplant that would at least give them a little hope. With prayers and high hope, sadly Connie had finally hit rock bottom.

The doctors said they saw no sign of improvement in Connie after the transplant. The morning of November 19, 1999 her family spent their last moments with Connie. Connie laid there with no word said and her eyes closed, just restless from all she has given her best to beat it. Her father tried to remain strong as he saw his helpless daughter dying and knew she was coming really close to going to rest. Then at 11:37 pm the line went flat. Connie had finally let go. The nurse had run in to turn off the monitor for the family to say their last goodbyes. A few minutes later the nurse came back to get Connie's hand into plaster, which makes a hand print.

Now the plate of Connie's hand print stands next to her urn in the family's room. Although she was a young girl with cancer, she smiled through it all. Connie went through a real struggle with cancer but she's my hero because the best thing to do in the hardest time is to smile. It's the little happiest moments that count in life to make the best out of it. To stay humble and to keep your head held high because not everyone thinks they can make it through the struggle. Connie's death was a sad thing but if you think about it, it's that moment in life when you actually feel alive when you got to heaven. Connie's death wasn't what her family wanted but her death was beautiful for a young beautiful girl to have rest in the after life now.

Page created on 8/28/2014 12:00:00 AM

Last edited 8/28/2014 12:00:00 AM

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