[nagdu] My Mother Crossed the Rainbow Bridge

Tue Dec 1 13:50:24 UTC 2009

Dear Peter and Mary,

I am sorry for your loss. After reading your splendid biography of your
mother, Peter, it is easy to see where you got your fighting spirit and
your steadfastness in helping other people.

Cordially,

Lorraine Rovig
NFB Program Operations Specialist &
Assistant to Anil Lewis, Chairman, NFB Scholarship Committee
Office:  x2415

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Peter Donahue" <pdonahue1 at sbcglobal.net>
Sent: Wednesday, November 25, 2009 10:39 PM
Subject: [nagdu] 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
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> nagdu:
>
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/swampfox1833%40ve
rizon.net 

_______________________________________________
nagdu mailing list
nagdu at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
nagdu:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/lrovig%40nfb.org