Kimberly Fowler was a very special girl who touched the lives of so many people. She taught us the importance of patience, compassion and most of all unconditional love. She made us focus on all the beautiful things that the Lord has provided. We took nothing for granted. The most important things in life to us were not our material possessions. It was family.
The best days for the Fowlers were the days Kimmie Fowler smiled. And when Kim smiled it was almost always because of the love and care given to her by Jeff and Betsy. Like Kimmie, they truly are a gift from heaven.
Life is good.
More importantly, Kim helped us to truly appreciate the many blessings that the Lord has bestowed upon us and strengthened our belief in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior which leads to everlasting life.
Today, we say goodbye to Kimmie – but only for a short time. Betsy, Jeff and I truly look forward to the day when we will meet our smiling healthy little girl in the Kingdom of Heaven.
As I conclude today, my wish is that everyone realizes how short of time we have here on this earth. Appreciate each day. Be happy, be positive and don’t hold grudges. Hug your spouse, hug your kids, appreciate your friends and tell everyone that you love them.
Life is a gift.
Harder to realize, but more important, is that our time on this earth is but a blink of an eye of our eternal life. The famous verse John 3:16 tells us “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but will have eternal life.”
My prayer today is that all of us will accept Jesus Christ as our Lord Savior.
Someday, Kimmie Fowler wants to see all of us in heaven.
Over the past few months, I have compiled a huge collection of photos of Kirby. I looked at the pictures of her in her younger years and saw a vivacious and energetic girl smiling back at me. I remembered spending hours with her, treatment letting our imaginations run wild as we made fun for ourselves. We had a connection that bridged the gap between sisters and friends, and our support for each other never waned.
As I continued to look at photos, I was saddened as I saw her body and brain deteriorate. It scared me to think about how much had been lost as the disease attacked her brain. Now that she is confined to a wheelchair and severely mentally handicapped, does she remember the bond we had? Does she remember all the fun and carefree time we spent together?
It was that fear that led me to think about faith. Not necessarily faith in God, but faith that when our eyes meet, she is remembering. Faith that regardless of the disease, she knows I am her sister and her best friend. Although a doctor couldn’t tell me for certain whether she has the mental capacity to remember, I must believe she does. That belief motivates me to continue to be the best sister I can be, and support Kirby throughout her daily fight with Sanfilippo. It has taken so much from my sister, but I have faith that it will never take away the relationship Kirby and I have always had.
This has been one of the busiest holidays for me – leaving a job, starting a new one, moving to a new apartment, leaving my family and friends, and throw a wedding, Christmas and New Years in there. However, amidst all of the craziness of the holidays, Kirby came through again to show me what they are all about.
They say Kirby is a “special needs” child, which makes one think that she is challenging to care for and keep happy. But really, Kirby loves and appreciates all the things that we overlook, particularly during the holidays. Kirby appreciates it when I get down on the floor to her level and hold her hand while I watch a Christmas special on TV. She appreciates holiday shopping trips with me. In fact, I bet she even appreciates the little sip of champagne she had from my mom on Christmas Eve. Her life is her relationship with other people.
So for the rest of the holidays, my focus is relationships. I have an opportunity to spend my last few days at home with all the people I care about. I am not going to let myself be consumed by the holiday chaos, I am just going to look around at how lucky I am to be surrounded by such wonderful people. Thanks Kirbs for showing me how to enjoy the holidays!
When I was seven, my parents told me Kirby was handicapped and life was going to be a little bit different around our house. As a naive and energetic seven-year-old, I responded, not to worry, Kirby will be different, but different can be kind of fun. I watched as my parents’ eyes teared up, and I remember wondering why they could possibly be so sad. This was going to be fun.
As I grew older, I watched Kirby’s body deteriorate and I slowly began to understand where my parents’ tears were coming from. Kirby was my sister and my best friend. It was hard to escape the thought that no doctor knows how to prevent this disease from attacking my sister. So, our family made a commitment to Kirby and the rest of the children suffering from Sanfilippo that we would form a foundation to fund the research of a cure. I knew that no matter what happened to Kirby, I wanted to know that I had done everything possible to try to save her.
Even at a young age, Kirby changed all of us. When any of us were on the brink of tears, her positive attitude and determination empowered us. Looking back, it really is incredible that the child who was dealing with the loss of her speech, mobility, and basic independence skills was the one keeping all of us positive. Kirby united us and made us into a family capable of working together to raise $3.2 million toward the research of Sanfilippo.
For me personally, Kirby taught me how to live with the unexpected. I have learned to work hard to change what I have control over and care for those I love. I can control Kirby’s quality of life and I can work to make her as happy as possible, day by day. I love taking Kirby on walks so she can see as much of the world as possible. She has taught me so much, so it is the least I can do. Now, I ask one thing of you. Keep reading, and share Kirby’s story.
