www.roughweekend.com

Whew... it's been a tough week. We have wonderful friends and when they hurt, we hurt.

A couple weeks ago our friend Katie (married to Chris who was Nick's roommate all 4 years of college) updated us about her mom's condition, saying that she had been through chemo and they found out it did nothing. 

They were going to try another round of chemo, with more intensity and more focus. BUT last Monday/Tuesday she took a turn for the worse, and the cancer had spread through her body affecting her liver and there was a tumor in her bronchial tube and it was strangling her. The doctors gave her a week-2 weeks. She only lived 4 more days. Yesterday was her funeral. Nick asked me if we could send flowers and knowing how expensive they are, I suggested we go to "the family" and ask for donations and get 1 big bouquet! 21 of us are part of the Spagota Family, and gave and gave, enough to purchase a beautiful purple bouquet as well as bless them with some gift cards for restaurants so that they can not worry about cooking or money for a while and hopefully make some happier memories together.

While all this was going on, Friday night I was at Mariah's fall play which was hilarious!! She did fantastic of course! However right after the show, I checked my text messages and there was one from Nick asking me if I had seen Nich's Facebook status. Nich & Jennie are the couple I lived with for a year before getting married. So my Nick called me right away instead of texting and informed me that Nich's brother had been found in a diabetic coma, and by the time he was found he was no longer breathing or had a pulse. They were able to revive him, but after brain scans they revealed that there was 0 brain activity. They had made the decision to take him off the life support after his organs were donated. He was father to 2 children under 7 years old.  How sad. The hardest part for me is know that Hailey (my flower girl) has now lost a sister, an uncle to the Iraq war, and now another uncle before she's turned 8 years old, and now both Nich & Jennie have lost a sibling.

Jennie's Brother's Funeral

Nich's brother Doug

Now last night the 3rd one came, this time it's from out here....

There is a family in our church who lost their 17 year old son Ryan in a car accident about 10 years ago. They have set up a scholarship that every year helps kids go on the youth retreats that can't afford to go. There is a plaque/picture and a little memorial garden near the chapel/youth room of our church....

Last night their daughter (she would be around 30 yrs old) got in a car accident and they weren't sure if she would make it through the night. She has some mega brain injuries.

Latest update on Michelle Keller sent late last night: (She was in a car accident and remains in critical condition with head injuries). "Some slightly good signs. breathing some on her own and good blood pressure. But, it's the brain we're worried about.She will have a CT scan at 2:00 am."  Thank you, friends, for your continued prayers!!