[Nfbmo] My Mother Crossed the Rainbow Bridge

Wed Dec 2 20:07:09 UTC 2009

We are sorry to hear about your mother's   passing.

Jim and Jana Moynihan

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Peter Donahue" <pdonahue1 at sbcglobal.net>
To: "Mary Donahue" <braille at sbcglobal.net>
Cc: <officeofthepresident at nfb.org>; <faith-talk at nfbnet.org>; "Steve Shelton" 
<steve at sbshelton.com>; "Rhanda Hasley" <rhanda.hasley at sbcglobal.net>; 
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<mfreholm at blindnet.zzn.com>; <Gibbson565 at aol.com>; "J BICHLER" 
<jcbichler at msn.com>; "Stanzel,Susan - Kansas City, MO" 
<susan.stanzel at kcc.usda.gov>; "Lisa Hall" <lhall007 at cinci.rr.com>; "sam 
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Sent: Wednesday, November 25, 2009 9:39 PM
Subject: [Nfbmo] My Mother Crossed the Rainbow Bridge

>        Good evening everyone,
>
>    This year's Holiday Season will be filled with sorrow and joy. For 
> those
> receiving this news for the first time my mother was rushed to Northeast
> Methodist Hospital in San Antonio and was later transferred to Main
> Methodist to receive treatment from a neuro surgeon. Yesterday morning she
> was found slumped in her chair bleeding from the nose and mouth. She is
> believed to have suffered a major stroke  and was placed in ICU upon 
> arrival
> at Main Methodist. She never regained consciousness and was placed on life
> support where she remained until this afternoon. Her condition worsened
> during the night. The doctor offered to perform surgery but could not
> guarantee a deasent quality of life following the operation. With heavy
> hearts we decided to end life support. She crossed the rainbow bridge at
> about 1-15 p.m. following termination of life support. She died without
> regaining consciousness and is now in a better place.
>
>    We're all sad and shocked with her passing. She exercised and took long
> walks to keep in shape and always insisted on eating right. She died at 
> age
> 73. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her.
>
>    Mom was a fighter particularly when it came to my education. Like many
> parents of blind children during the 1960s and 1970s she was roped in to
> believing that the so-called "Experts" with the Department of Education in
> Massachusetts had all the answers when it came to teaching blind kids and
> where they should attend school. All of that changed when she visited the
> Oak Hill School for the Blind in Connecticut for a concert I would be
> participating in in 1972. The things she observed during her visit along
> with concerns about my well-being at the time prompted her in to action.
> Thus began what my family called the "1973 Uprising!" The environment at 
> Oak
> Hill and transportation issues lead to a campaign to have me transferred 
> to
> the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown Massachusetts if not in to
> public high school. When the battle was over I attended Perkins for the
> remainder of my high school years and graduated in 1975. To the best of 
> our
> knowledge this was the first time the parent of a blind child in
> Massachusetts issued a serious challenge to the dogma of special education
> officials at that time.
>
>    To set the record straight this happened prior to my involvement in the
> National Federation of the Blind. Although we did not know the 
> organization
> by name we had its spirit which subsequently allowed myself and many other
> blind individuals to have a quality of life we would not have otherwise.
> Had the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children been around I
> believe mom would have eventually rose to top leadership in that
> organization and would have been one of its staunchest members.
>
>    Mom has assisted several other disabled individuals over the years most
> recently my adopted niece who has Down's Syndrome. Although they could 
> only
> progress to a certain level she expected them to achieve a degree of
> independence and self-sufficiency. I am one example of her persistence and
> her "Pushing" me to attempt to do the assumingly impossible.
>    It will be different tomorrow not hearing her in the kitchen cooking
> Thanksgiving Dinner and bossing us around in her demanding and sometimes
> humorous way.
>
>    Our Thanksgiving feast will be dedicated to her memory. We're not sure
> about funeral services yet. She has requested that her body be cremated
> following the funeral.
>
>    Mary and I along with the rest of my family greatly appreciate everyone
> keeping us in your prayers and thoughts during this Holiday Season. Mom's
> death was sudden and unexpected. We will miss her but we know she crossed
> the rainbow bridge and is now among the wranks of family members who
> preceded her. Again thanks for keeping us in your prayers and thoughts. 
> All
> the best for a wonderful Thanksgiving.
>
> Peter Donahue
>
>
>
> "Will you come and awake our lost land from its slumber
>      And her fetters we'll break, links that long are encumbered.
>      And the air will resound with hosannas to greet you
>      On the shore will be found gallant Irishmen to greet you."
> Will You Come to the Bower
> Traditional Irish Folk Song
>
>
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