My mother was always in high spirits through this whole ordeal.  The week before she passed I was with her when the doctor came in and told her, “Marilyn I dont think you will be leaving the hospital.”  She said to him “so I will go be with Jesus now”. He answered her with tears in his eyes “Yes”. She said “okay I am ready to go my mother is there and she must need help with her garden”. I told her before she passed that my sister and I would try to help other women by telling them her story and to ask for vaginal sonograms. I feel that is important had they done one early they would have found it sooner.

My mother was always full of life. She loved to paint, garden and was a very good hairdresser.  She always did all our friend’s and families hair for weddings and proms.  She was a very giving person.  If strangers asked for help she would help them. She felt by helping them that someday if she needed help somebody would help her. My mother never missed a baseball game or football game that my brother played.  She loved to come to the ranch and watch my sister and I ride our horses.  She is missed everyday, every minute by all who knew her.   I feel we were blessed to have her as our Mother and best friend.

Sherrie, Rusty & Coleen

I know there are several moms out there that deserve to be honored and recognized and, although I am biased, my mom Gail Wasylishyn deserves and has earned it.

My sister and I grew up learning to appreciate everything anyone ever did for us or gave us.  We were taught early on acceptable behavior, our please and thank you’s, how to be polite, write thank you notes (sent by “snail” mail’) and to even make sure to say thank you, for the little things, for instance, to dad that bought us pizza on Sunday night after our day at our grandparents farm. We learned to realize that no one owes us anything.  And now that I am older I live by that.  No one has to be there for me, no one has to listen to me cry nor do they have to listen to me vent just about daily occurrences. You’re lucky for the ones that do that.  Even if it’s a relative or friend.  Be grateful.  My mom instilled this attribute in us.  Be thankful for what you have.

Several people have complimented me and have said that I am so polite and always smiling.  That is a direct reflection of my mom. I can only hope I am half the woman she is.

My mom has been a nursery school teacher for almost 20 years now.  Children usually fight to sit on her lap at story time.  And years later she remembers every child and family. My mom has also been singing in the choir at our local church. Many come to just hear her sing on Sunday mornings.  She has a voice that stands out.  You always know it’s her.

I can honestly say that she has been not only a mom to the two of us but a friend, a gracious acquaintance, someone that people instantly remember just by her kindness and her smile.  I mentioned when she got sick and she was getting her several cards a day that I would not be surprised if you got one from the mailman or the person that usually bags your groceries because you have that affect on people.  She is just a naturally, genuine person that cares about everyone.  My mom is truly an amazing individual.  My sister, Erica, and I are grateful and lucky to say she is MY MOM!

You always are concerned and worried about loved ones.  It is something we pick up when we love others.  You never think twice that a person of that good nature, good karma, would be diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer.

My mom was diagnosed on Friday September 11, 2009.  She went to the doctor for the concern of a hernia and consequently had to find out all alone that she had cancer.  After speaking with my father and our minister she found strength to tell us two days later.  I can remember that day so vividly.  My world came crashing down.  The scariest, worst news a daughter could endure. I can not fathom how she was feeling but she was strong and positive.  I broke down and lost it.  The most important person to me, my one and only mother had cancer.  Cancer.

She honestly deserved to be honored as a mother long before her diagnosis.  But since that day she has been ever more amazing.  If that is possible.  In the past seven months not one complaint from her.  The only tears I’ve seen or heard from her are when she hugs my sister and me when we are home to see her.  (Gail resides in Connecticut.  Erica and her husband in Florida.  And myself in Arizona). She has been such an inspiration to everyone.  Her spirit and attitude is honestly mind boggling! She even makes it a point to write down every flower arrangement, gift, meal given to our family, so she can write a thank you.  I could go on and on with my reasons of why she deserves to be honored.  She is the epitome of a caring, honest, loving person.

Gail Wasylishyn, my mom, is absolutely one of a kind and irreplaceable. We need a world filled with a few more Gail’s.

Please visit her website: www.caringbridge.org
Name: gailmw

Sincerely,
Heidi Wasylishyn

Imagine my surprise to discover she had overcome ovarian cancer and was part of a cancer research study where she was treated.  About six years later, I found out that she had also been treated for kidney cancer on the same side of her body.  Now she has a ‘non-lethal’ for of cancer (if you can ever say that) that looks like thrush in a place easily hidden from view.  I found out this past Christmas she still suffers from “survivors guilt”.  She is such an inspiration to me.

Submitted by Vera Ewing

The best word I can use to describe my mother is “RESILIENT”.  She is blessed with a strong spirit that carries her through everything!! My mom is INCREDIBLE, she has not complained once about the chemotherapy treatment, weight loss or no appetite that she continually faces! Results show when her tumor marker dropped from 170 to 30 and God willing it will continue to drop down! God Bless!!

In February of 2005 at the age of 75, mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and because of her positive attitude, she lived another 5 years.   She went home to be with her Loving Creator March 2009.  I had the wonderful opportunity to care for her the last two months of her life.  I got to be mom to her, and love her with the love that she so loving loved all of us with.   I would encourage anyone who can to do the same with those you love, it is a beautiful experience.

On this Mother’s Day and all to come, I will treasure the memories I have, and strive to live as courageously as she did. I LOVE YOU, MOM.

My Mum, Anne, adopted me 33 years ago when I was just 6 months old. I am so glad she did.  She was the kindest, most loving mother I ever could have asked for and I would have chosen her myself, had I had the choice! She became my dear friend as well as my Mum
In 2006, our world fell apart when she was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer. She fought bravely for 2 and a half years, but unfortunately lost her battle against this terrible disease last year,  the 8th of February 2009. I periodically went home to the UK to help with her chemotherapy treatments and eventually to help my father care for her at home, until she died (I was able to give up my job to do this thanks to the support of my husband, love you Chris.)  The time we had was so precious.  I was so glad I could be there to help and that I was there to hold her hand when she finally died.  I miss her every single day, but I am so glad we had each other in our lives for as long as we did.  I feel so lucky, when really it was only down to chance that she was my Mum at all.

I also feel so lucky that we got married a few months before she became ill.  As such, the memories of my wedding day are truly precious.  Mum looked so proud and so happy that day It’s our 4th wedding anniversary tomorrow, May 7th, and I will be toasting you too Mum! As well as 2 days later on Mother’s Day here Also every UK Mother’s Day in March. It is hard to get through two Mother’s Days each year now, but I think you deserve to be celebrated twice!

You were the best Mum I could have ever hoped for and I will always love you very much. I know you will still be here with me in my heart when I have children of my own.

Happy Mother’s Day! All my love, Hayley xxxxxx

PS I wrote this poem & read it at Mum’s funeral so I thought I would share it with you all. It’s called “Dear Mum”:
Dear Mum…

I miss you so very much Mum
I feel like my heart is breaking
But I know you are watching over us
And listening, while I am speaking

I miss you so very much Mum
And your independent spirit
Some might call it “stubbornness”
Always saying, “No, I can do it!”

I miss you so very much Mum
I have so many happy memories
A childhood filled with love and laughter
You always soothed my fears with ease

I miss you so very much Mum
And I am so glad you were mine
If I could have chosen anyone
I would have picked you every time

I miss you so very much Mum
Is all this really true?
Help us find the strength inside
So we can see this through

I miss you so very much Mum
But it’s time to say goodbye
I know you are at peace at last
And that helps me not to cry

I will always love you Mum
You will live on through me
Goodbye and ‘God bless’, for now,
Until again we meet…

All my love always,
Your Hay xxxxxxxx

My mother is my truest friend when life’s trials
Are heavy and suddenly fall upon you
She clings on and endeavors by her kind percepts and counsels
She helps dissipate the clouds of darkness
And brings peace to my heart.

My mother accompanies me to every chemo session
She brings jokes and snacks to entertain me
While the chemo drips slowly through my port
We have long quiet conversations or read a magazine
We catch up on the many family events that have past by
Or we argue the new scientific or political issues of the day.

This has been a big part of my life for the past 7 years
As I battle ovarian cancer with its many different treatments
My mother’s loving touch brings smile to my face
It helps ease the pain of the many side effects I need to bare
I know she worries all the time to my slightest little sigh
Yet, I try to keep her abreast with all the news
That CAT scan, PET scan and doctor’s visits bring.

My calendar is always full as I manage my life between the treatments
But, I accepted this life of mine defined by the different chemo cocktails
As long as we can plan the next trip together, my mother and I.

Submitted by Martha Davidovich

She taught for 40 years, 30 of those at Mt. Bethel.  She tried to keep all of the fun stuff in kindergarten, like singing and silly dances and a million little paper projects, even though the changing curriculum has made it almost impossible.  She had the energy of her five year olds.  Arleen was only 61 when she passed, she was in the class with her kids (where she loved to be) until a week before her passing.

Submitted by Mount Bethel Elementary School

Everyone always told me how great my mom was.  I didn’t see it at the time.  I was just a kid, and she definitely loved my little sister more.  She was pretty great.  She volunteered to chaperone every field trip, baked for every bake sale, helped with costumes for every theatre production, drove me and my sister to countless rehearsals, club meetings, and appointments.  She pushed me to do well in school and go to college.  She tried, so hard, to be a good mom, to be there for us.  She cried when I went away for college.  I cried, too.

When I was home for Thanksgiving, Mom kept saying how she just “didn’t feel right”.  I told her to go to the doctor; she sure as heck (Mom *never* swore) would have made us go if we said the same thing. She put me off, but went the next week.

Her GP told her to go see her GYN.  Her GYN said, “You were just here a couple months ago, why are you here?”  He ran some tests.  And scheduled surgery for the next week.
Nobody told me this, of course.  I was told the day before the surgery.  It was finals, Mom said, I needed to study.  My uncle would pick me up for Christmas break.  It wasn’t a big deal.

Well, it was.  They did a complete hysterectomy after finding a tumor the size of a grapefruit.  It hadn’t spread, they said.  No need for further concern.

But here was: six weeks later, it had spread to her lungs. Then to her eye, her hip, her brain, and finally her bones.  On May 21, 1998, barely six months after her diagnosis, she passed away, with my sister and me by her side.  She was 49.  I was 18.  My sister was barely 16.

It has now been 11 years, 11 months, one week, and four days since we lost Mom.  I’m now 30, and am a special education teacher for students with severe special needs.  I am in constant contact with my grandmother’s power of attorney (she is 91, deaf, has dementia, and lives on the other side of the country), who always tells me she does this for me and for my mother, who she loved like a sister.  Every time something happens to me- graduation, a new job, a move, a relationship issue- I want to call her, and wonder what she would say.  I have no idea what she would think of my life now.  I hope she knows, somewhere, how very, very much she is missed.

One Poem, One story, Two lives inspiring mine…

Just a pre-teen, broken dreams, How my mom can make me scream…
“Oh please, let me never be like her!”

Clean your room, get good grades, never do that, don’t come home late…

“I hope I am never like her!”

She clings so tight, she loves me so, college, freedom, I have to go…

“I so, don’t even, want to be like her!”

Baby comes, Mom draws near, holds her tight, sings in her ear…

“Oh God, let me be like her!”

Chemo meds head held high, more bad news, I lay by her side…

“Lord, please let me be like her!”

I hear a song, I keep it on, I turn it up, I sing along…

“I think I am just like her!”

A fighting spirit, I won’t rest til’ there’s change, little eyes watching, pointing the way…

“I am so thankful, I am just like her!”

Submitted by Donna Blankenship