[stylist] My Mother Crossed the Rainbow Bridge

[Donna Hill]

Peter, I'm sorry to hear of your mother's passing. I'm sure it is a 
profound loss and a shock because of its suddenness. I pray though in 
time you will see that it was a blessing for her to go quickly, without 
a long period of suffering. May God's love and grace sustain you and 
allow you to hold onto all of the good memories.
Donna

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Peter Donahue wrote:
>         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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