Valarie Martin

My dear sweet friend and neighbor passed away Sunday night.  She was such a sweet lady. She had struggled with heart problems most of her life.  Last year in November she had major heart surgery which they placed an LVAD (left ventricular assisting device) in her chest.  She was constantly hooked up to batteries or plugged into a wall so her heart would beat properly.  This was just suppose to be a stepping stone to getting a new heart.  She did everything in preparation to get on the list.  Finally in February 2013 they gave her a pager, put her on Status B and told her to never travel more than an hour away!  Things were really looking up!  She was feeling pretty good, healthy and more active. 

Cannon had remembered her birthday was July 14th and she was going to turn 41.  We wrote it on the calendar and talked about little things we could do.  He absolutely adored her.  She would always cook him fried chicken (his favorite), chicken noodle soup, ham and potato soup, pork chops, and spaghetti.  She would sit outside in the driveway and Cannon would go over and talk to her about everything.  He would tell her about Idaho, basketball, animals.......you name it.  Then he would come home and shake his head......."I can't believe how nice she is, they are just so nice....I can't believe it.  Mom, can you believe it, they are SO extremely nice."  I knew he thought the world of her for just spending so many hours talking with him.

Tuesday morning I got a call from Valarie telling me she was in the hospital.  She didn't think it was anything serious.  She was having problems with her stomach so she decided to go get it checked out.  I was teasing her "Why am I just finding out now? You've been in the hospital since Friday"  She was laughing and saying "I know, I know." 
I decided the best way to help out was to stay home so I could watch Deborah.  Carolyn and Kenya were driving back and forth, taking turns staying with her in the hospital.  They had found a leaky valve in her heart and had to take her to surgery to fix it.  The surgery took longer than anticipated because her LVAD was starting to adhere to her chest cavity.  Her blood pressure dropped dramatically and they were worried about brain damage at that point.  She can out of surgery but never fully recovered.  From this point on she just had complication after complication.  On Sunday morning I texted Carolyn and she said she was holding her own.  I forgot my phone at home and went to church.  As soon as I got back I grabbed my phone and saw a text from Carolyn saying she wasn't going to make it.  I immediately called Carolyn back.  She was on her way to the hospital because they were calling family and friends in.  Her tiny body couldn't take anymore.
I jumped in the car and raced down to the hospital.  It was so hard to see her hooked up to all those machines.  It didn't look anything like my sweet friend.  She was bruised and swollen to the point I couldn't recognize her. It was so hard to see her like this. To think of little Deborah who was only nine.  Who would never have her mom to tuck her in at night or be there when she had children of her own.  My only solace was to know that Heavenly Father has a plan for us.  Valarie had done her work here on earth and now Heavenly Father needed her to help in Heaven.  I know Valarie is in Heaven watching down on Deborah and her family. 
This whole experience has made me cherish each and every moment with those who matter most in my life.  Its not about how big your house is, what kind of car you drive or how much money you have.  Its about kissing my kids goodnight and tucking them into bed, hugs and kisses, watching them grow up and have children of there own.  Its about loving each moment while we are on this earth.  I am so grateful for the knowledge, I can live with my family again.  To be in Heaven with my husband, children, parents, brothers and sisters. I know I will see Valarie again and be able to give her a hug and tell her how much I've missed our chats.
But today is Stella's 4th Birthday so I am going to go out and make the best of this sad day. We are going to party and make new memories we can always remember. I love you Valarie and you will be truly missed but I know you wouldn't want us to sit around and sulk.  Until I see you again....as Valarie likes to say "Have a Blessed Day"!