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Angel - Delaney Natasha 2/4/02-2/24/08 
Delaney was diagnosed January 19, 2005 with a chiasmic Optic Glioma (low-grade fibrillary astrocytoma, non-NF) extending to the hypothalamus and brain stem, hydrocephalus secondary to the tumor and failure to thrive. Over three years we went through 3 types of chemo, proton radiation, many MRI's and hospital stays. The cancer was beaten but complications of the side effects of chemo and radiation made life a bit more difficult. Delaney was forever healed February 24, 2008.
Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.
I saw what I saw by Sara Groves
I saw what I saw and I can't forget it
I heard what I heard and I can't go back
I know what I know and I can't deny it
Something on the road, cut me to the soul
Your pain has changed me
your dream inspires
your face a memory
your hope a fire
your courage asks me what I'm afraid of
and what I know of love
we've done what we've done and we can't erase it
we are what we are and it's more than enough
we have what we have but it's no substitution
Something on the road, cut me to the soul
Your pain has changed me
your dream inspires
your face a memory
your hope a fire
your courage asks me what I am made of
and what I know of love
I say what I say with no hesitation
I have what I have but I'm giving it up
I do what I do with deep conviction
something on the road, cut me to the soul
Your pain has changed me
your dreams inspire
your face a memory
your hope a fire
Your pain has changed me
your dream inspires
your face a memory
your hope a fire
your courage asks me what I’m afraid of
your courage asks me what I am made of
your courage asks me what I’m afraid of
and what I know of love
and what I know of God
Homesick by MercyMe
You're in a better place, I've heard a thousand times
And at least a thousand times I've rejoiced for you
But the reason why I'm broken, the reason why I cry
Is how long must I wait to be with you
I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now
Help me Lord cause I don't understand your ways
The reason why I wonder if I'll ever know
But, even if you showed me, the hurt would be the same
Cause I'm still here so far away from home
I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now
In Christ, there are no goodbyes
And in Christ, there is no end
So I'll hold onto Jesus with all that I have
To see you again
To see you again
And I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now
Journal
Wednesday, April 29, 2009 Everyday was a new day for Delaney. The worries of yesterday were not the worries of today. Tomorrow was just another day to look forward to. She had a zest for life that amazed us at times given all of her circumstances. She usually talked with her hands involved and her conversations regularly included, “can you believe it?”, “isn’t that crazy?”, “seriously!”, “well, actually…”, “tell me about it!”, “apparently!”, “you’re freaking me out!” Often she would talk about her “crazy cat, Kenny”.
She said hello to everyone she saw. It didn’t matter where she was; the hallway at the doctor’s office, the hospital, the grocery store, the drive-through window. She always said hello to whoever was passing by. Some would stop and talk and she would literally engage them in conversation. Some, she would stop in their tracks because she wanted to talk. I often wondered if she had someone whispering in her ear telling her which people really needed someone to talk to. Which ones needed a little girl to brighten their day with conversation that didn’t seem like much but maybe meant something just to them.
She carried three things with her all the time. Her snack mix, a bag of stuffies and drawings. Her snack mix consisted of 5 things from our cabinets. Always five things…..she had to count how many things she was putting in and she put a lot of thought into what she was going to have in her snack mix. The one consistent thing that was always in her bag was M&M’s….those were her favorite. Everyone got a chance to help her make a snack mix.
She loved her stuffed animals; particularly, small ones that she could stuff into a bag to carry. If someone asked “what’s in the bag?” well, that was an invitation to sit and pull out each animal and show it to them. Soon, some would stop and ask her to show them what was in the bag…..it was almost always different animals and she could tell you exactly what the animal was. A rhino or a platypus, she could tell you if you didn’t know…..and sometimes even if you did.
Drawing. She loved to draw things that we thought were silly; circles and lines usually. This circle was a fruit….soon there was a whole page of them. All different colors and she knew which fruit was which…strawberries, blueberries, grapes, kiwi, even boysenberries! This pack of circles together was a pack of animals. Sometimes the lines were curved to form a rainbow. Some of the curved lines were small because they were birds. And she drew flocks and flocks of birds. She knew that birds never traveled alone. These drawings were always handed out to people when we went places….doctors offices, church, the children’s cancer center. She always wanted to leave something behind.
She had a bag of card games that she loved. The bag was a Dora backpack. It was filled with Dora games and a couple of other games that she learned and loved to play. Pretty much everyday always once but usually 3 or 4 times a day, Laney would play these games. Memory match (which she was really good at), Old Maid, Go Fish, Crazy Eights, Dominos, Bingo and a couple others. There were a couple of board games like Hungry Hungry Hippos, Chutes and Ladders, Candy Land and a silly one called Baking Cookies. Every day we played games. And she won more often than we did without us trying to lose.
She had a unique way of making the smartest people feel rather dim-witted. Her answers to questions were so straight-forward and correct that you felt very small compared to her 3 ½ foot person. Looking in a cup of milk that he had just poured for her, dad asked “is there something in your cup, Laney?” “Yes, milk”.
She told me one day that she wished she had an oval cup holder. When I asked what she was going to put in an oval cup holder she looked at me simply and said “an oval cup”!! One of the many days she was building with blocks (which was almost every day), she told me that she was making a building that wouldn’t stand up…..so being the intelligent person that I am, I inquired what she was going to do with a building that didn’t stand up. She said, “I’m going to lay it down”. No matter your education, you could not get away without feeling dumb at least once around her.
It didn’t matter who you were if you were on her time. Doctors were often on her time. And she was going to get her time with them. She had many things to discuss with doctors and nurses. Sometimes she didn’t feel good so she knew that they would make her feel better. And she would ask them for the medicine that was going to make her all better. Other times it was just discussing what was going on that day or something exciting coming up. God bless you if she had to wait for you. We were in for proton radiation for a spell. This was a daily thing for 6 weeks. She had all of them wrapped around her finger in a matter of days. The head anesthesiologist was often late. His direct reports would never say anything about it. Well Laney had her say. He walked in one particular day late and she let him have it. “It’s about time you got here. I’ve been waiting. I want to get this show on the road!” He was a little red-faced that day….the rest of the staff was laughing hysterically.
Delaney had an attitude sometimes but given what she had gone through the last three years of her life, who wouldn’t. It usually didn’t last too long. And it was hard to stay mad at someone who would look at you with a playful grin and say “would you play a game with me?”
On the last Thursday family night at the cancer center (3 days before she passed), she seemed to be at the top of her game. She was everywhere with everyone. Talking to everyone and handing out all her pictures of which she had many more than usual that night. She spoke to people as if she knew she was saying goodbye. In fact one person asked how she was feeling and she said “I’m feeling great and I’m never going to be sick again”.
Her life may have been short-lived here but she certainly touched many people in this life. Some will forget her, some will forget her name but most will remember her as long as they live. Hopefully they will apply Laney’s zest for life: make today a new day, and there’s always time to play a game of cards.
Her ripples do not stop here…..
Sunset Memory Gardens
11005 N US Highway 301
Thonotosassa, FL 33592
Garden of Devotion
Read Journal History
Hospital Information: Forever Healed by Jesus
Links: http://www.childrenscancercenter.org/ The Children's Cancer Center is an (awesome!) non-profit organization providing help and support for children and their families dealing with cancer and chronic blood disorders.
http://www.pcfusa.org/home.htm The Pediatric Cancer Foundation, exists to raise money to fund pediatric cancer research. Our focus is to fund research which will lead to the elimination of pediatric cancer worldwide.
http://www.mydessertdiva.blogspot.com/ Check out my cake blog!
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