My Mother's Reason
My name is Shirley Relien and I lost my 26 year old son Jeff in the fall of 2000 to Cystic Fibrosis. You may or may not be familiar with this dreadful childhood disease but Jeff was diagnosed at the age of 6 weeks with CF. I was a 20 year old girl that could barely say Cystic Fibrosis much less know what all it involved. So, as you can imagine our world seemed to fall apart for quite sometime. In 1974 the life expectancy was 12 years and we were told to take him home and love him as we had no guarantees as to how long he would survive.
Through the years with new drugs, research and the possibility of a transplant, things seemed to look up. But once again our world fell apart on September 22, 2000.
I made a commitment to myself and my son that I will continue as long as I am physically and mentally able or until a cure is found to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. It is my hope that one day no family will have to endure losing a son, brother and husband with so much life ahead of him.
Jeffory, as we get ready to start our intense effort to raise money for CF this year please know it is all for you.
My Sister's Reason
It has been almost 10 years since we lost my Bubba to his long battle with CF, and it still kills me to talk about him in the past tense. If I would have realized what was REALLY going on the weeks/days prior to his passing I would have shared many of my fears, jokes, and stories with him. I would have loved to hear his laugh one more time. He had an electric laugh that was ‘one of a kind’. That is one of the many reasons why I fundraise towards a cure for this nasty disease. So that another mother, wife, sister, daughter doesn’t have to lose a loved one that still had so much life to live. So that a mom can see her son smile with his one chipped tooth - So that a husband can tell his wife his endless collection of jokes - So that a brother can protect his sisters. I feel my brother’s presence here on earth; I see his smiles in my children’s eyes. I know he is with me, and that comforts me and encourages me towards my goals every year that I set in my Great Strides endeavors. He is my Hero; my Guardian Angel and I love him more than any words could ever describe. He was a true gem!!! This is why I fight…so that CF stands for a “Cure Found”!!!
My Reason
My brother, Jeffory “Bubba” Duane Smith touched anyone who ever came in contact with him, and he continues to touch people with his spirit. This year marks the 10th year of his passing, and I will tell you that it still feels like yesterday we were saying good-bye to him in the hospital. It was a very surreal moment in life, which no one can understand until they experience it themselves. Watching someone you love so dearly slip away right before your eyes is one of the most painful experiences I've ever been through. Then the aftermath...well, it was hard. But, we picked ourselves up for him...and started honoring his memory, because that is what he would want us to do.
Another reason I fight for this cause is because I know that I'm a carrier of the CF gene...when my identical twin sister got pregnant with her first child, she immediately knew that she should get tested, and that's when we found out that we also carried the gene that our mother does. Fortunately my brother in law doesn't...so...long story short, it was a relief to us all. But, I now know that in the future I too will have to go through the same trials and tribulation to find out if my future husband carries the gene. I have thought about it long and hard, being 27 and always knowing that I would want to be a mother, if there were a chance that my child would have CF, would I proceed with getting pregnant? The question is still unanswered, it was hard watching my mom go through what she did, but I know her love for him could conquer all, and that's the main reason I think I would still take a chance. Motherhood seems to be the most rewarding career anyone could ever have, and to have a bond with my children like my mom has with us, well I guess you could say that it’s pretty rare and really unique. So a cure for Cystic Fibrosis is very important to me, and that’s why I fight to raise the money for the best research to help find it.
In 2009, I decided that I was ready to take the plunge for our team and head up the first benefit concert in memory of my brother, and it was a success. We raised $5,000on April 17th, 2009 on a Friday evening with 3 bands, silent auction, and raffle. Thanks to Randy Ford, owner of J.Gilligan’s and Beverly James, with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, I gained the confidence I needed to make this an Annual Event. So in 2010, our goal is to raise $10,000 with the concert event to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Great Strides, and Jeff’s Entourage. To make CF stand for Cure Found!
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2 comments:
My name is Brandon and I am Jeffory's best friend and was one of the lucky ones to have been blessed with his love and friendship. I met Jeff in the fifth grade and we became inseperable for the next fifteen years or so until his passing in 2000. I was and still am blessed by the love of his mom and sisters they took me in and treated my like their own flesh and blood. I spent a lot of time with Jeff and we shared so much during our time together he was always there when I needed someone and we helped each other through some tough times in our lives.
I was there at the hospital a couple of days before he passed and was able to tell him how much I loved him and that I would do the best I could do be there for his mom and sisters. That was and still is the hardest thing I have ever done being in that room with him seeing his struggle to breath. I walked out of that room and broke down and cried harder than I ever had and his mom was comforting me at that time she is an amazing and strong person and I made a promise at that moment that I would fight for a cure for the rest of my life.
There has not been one single day during the las ten years that I have not thought about our time together and I know that I will continue to fight for a cure in Jeff's name until a cure is found.
That is my story so please keep on fighting for Jeff. I LOVE YOU BUBBA!!
Thank you Brandon for being there for us too...we cherish that we have the bond with you...and I know it's because Bubba is watching us and making sure we all keep each other fighting together...and keeping each other in line...in the end that's what family is for. Thanks for being apart of our family and for all the memories we have made along the way, and the ones to come!
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