Cancer has left our Cate without her Daddy; she’s just 8 years old The hardest thing I’ve ever had to say to my 2 young kids was “Uncle Douglas died last night; now your cousin Cate no longer has her Daddy”. It’s when those words came out of my mouth that I truly fell apart. In my head it just made sense to say this and explain to these young children what death is and how it will affect their cousin….but when I said it out loud it just made it so real, my heart just broke. And so did I. It hit me like a brick wall: nothing I can do will bring him back to her. All the simple things a daddy does to make his little girl feel safe and loved, are now gone. She will never hear his voice, she will never have his hugs, she won’t have the laughing or the teasing or just cuddles on the couch. All she has now are her memories. We can all step in, as uncles or family/friends to fill some voids in her life; but these things belonged to them. Daddy Fought his Cancer for 8 years At 8 years of age, its mind boggling to think my brother has been fighting this cancer since just after Cate was born. Always in and out of hospitals for treatments and flare ups, Daddy being sick with Cancer was just a normal thing for our little Cate. I can only imagine how different their lives would have been had he not suffered this fate. What would they do different as a family if Daddy wasn’t always on a treatment plan? Maybe they would have travelled more or maybe they would have just had more time to play at the park together….whatever it would be, it’s just a dream. Daddy’s Financial Goals and Planning Were Cut Short Douglas was more committed to his family than anyone I know, so his drive to fight his cancer was strong. That meant his treatments came first and family outing and fun had to come second. His first goal was to have as much time as he could with his family and his little girl. Every treatment he had, he always said was to give him more time with Cate, so he would just do it without any complaints. I can’t think of a time when he felt sorry for himself having to fight this battle. He just did it and went on with his life. His second goal was to excel in his work and to build a retirement plan for he and Angela so they could enjoy life in their later years. This is the goal that fell apart. By no fault of his own, the cancer beat him and cut short his years of work so he wasn’t able to leave behind any real financial security. Douglas was Charitable to a Fault Everyone who knew Douglas, knows he never wanted anyone else to be in need or to suffer for anything. If there was a cause or someone was raising funds, he would just give the money without even thinking where he would get it. He would often donate anonymously to avoid any attention to his gift; and if the money was to be a “loan” he would never show up to collect. He was by no means a rich man, but he sure had a rich life. I truly think his charitable ways just made him feel good all around. Even though he was going through his own major trials and tribulations that come with cancer, he continued to help our others anytime he could. Cate’s Education & Trust Fund Now that Douglas is gone, the one big goal he never completed was to set up an Education and Trust Fund for Cate. As much as it was discussed, there was always another treatment to get through that pushed it off. In Douglas' eyes, education was a transformative force. He treasured learning and personal growth and dreamed of passing this fervor for knowledge to his beloved daughter, Cate. More than anything, he wished to gift her an unbounded educational journey. To honor this dream and support Angela, his wife, in making it a reality for Cate, we have established this LFEBridge campaign to fund Cate's future education. Our goal is to collectively channel our love for Douglas and provide Cate the necessary means to fully pursue her educational dreams, aspirations, and ambitions - the very path Douglas fervently hoped to secure for her. We understand if donating is beyond your capacity right now - just sharing his story is an invaluable contribution. But if you feel moved by Douglas's dream and Cate's future, any financial contribution, no matter how small, will be a significant step towards making this devoted dad's dream come true. Together, let's extend our love and support to Cate in this pivotal phase of her life. Thank you for being part of this journey.
Artículos relacionados
