MS. DREAM ON 1997
MELINDA LEE OSBORNE
October 2nd,
1971-July 6th, 1998
|
Melinda Lee Osborne,
"Mindi", arrived on this earth on October 2nd, 1971,
her due date. On that day an Angel was born and my life
changed forever.
Mindi was
born the way she approached life-FEET FIRST! As this is
a good way to approach life, it is not a good way to be
born. Since Mindi was breech she wasn't breathing when
she was born. Even though they gave her oxygen right
away and got her breathing, the damage was done. Mindi
had Cerebral Palsy.
| MELINDA I remember when she was
born and didn't take a breath.
I cried to the
Doctor, "My child is born in death!"
The Doctors
hurried; they brought her back right away.
God
said,"She has work to do, I will let her
stay.
She'll travel far, though she won't
walk.
She'll teach us much, though she won't
talk."
That she did, tackle the world by the
horns.
Till the day she died, from the day she
born.
Her eyes, how they sparkled, like sapphire
blue.
A toss of her head meant "I Love You".
Her
heart was of gold, 24 caret at that.
Her smile
warmed the room, from where ever you sat.
Her hair
was of silk, brushed daily with love.
Her laughter
would fill the Heavens above.
Do not grieve, my
Mindi would say.
For she lived life to the fullest
day.
The world is such a much better place.
Since
Mindi blessed it with her love and grace. Frannie
Osborne 1999 |
Though her physical
disability was severe, her mental ability wasn't
touched. All her life she would need total care, but
her sense of humor and empathy for others made her a
very unique individual.Her zest for life and uncanny
awareness of a persons feelings leave a very huge void
in everyones lives she touched.
She lived life as any "normal" person
would, except she was in a wheelchair. She had a
family. She went to school. She had many, many friends.
She traveled. She went to Disneyland twice and
Disneyworld the summer before she died. That was the
year her world was crushed, for she found out her"love"
Goofy was not real. Even though she was of "normal"
intelligence she still maintained a "childlike fanatsy
world."
She went to Washington DC and to
Canada to Expo 86. She went down water slides at the
park and she reversed bungy jumped. When asked if she
enjoyed the reverse bungy jump she indicated yes. When
asked if she would do it again the answer was
no.
She
went through life like you and me. She lost her father
when she was 16 months old and a baby brother when she
was 8 years old. She went to the Senior Prom. Even had
a date. She went to the Senior all night party and had
a great time with all her friends. She participated in
the graduation ceremonies. She "signed" yearbooks and
had her senior picture taken.
She was even a
Teachers Assistant in a preschool for a couple of
years. Yes, Mindi had a good life.
In early 1998 Mindi indicated to me she was
having trouble breathing. I took her to the Doctor. Of
course they could find nothing. We were sent to a
specialist. He didn't seem to have the answer either.
We were sent to the hospital to have tests done.
Everything appeared normal there too. We were still
trying to find the answer. We never did.
I sent her to her
evening program that she attended a couple nights a
week. Something told me she should stay home but there
wasn't any clear reason why. They called me and told me
Mindi was having trouble breathing. She was taken by
ambulance to the hospital. When I got there she was on
oxygen and looking good. They had taken an x-ray and
said she had Pneumonia. It looked like it was going to
be an easy problem to fix. I got her settled in her
room and told her that though she wouldn't be able to
be in the 4th of July Parade she would be well enough
to go on her vacation to Colorado to visit her friend
later in the month. I gave her a kiss and told her I
would see her in the
morning.| YOU WILL ALWAYS BE MY
ANGEL |
The next
morning the hospital called and told me Mindi had gone
into respiratory arrest and that she was now on life
support. Three days later we turned off the machine.
Mindi took one short breath and went peacefully to
Heaven.
GOD...Bless this precious one,that
you have taken there;
Place on her Angel wings,and halo in her hair.
On
earth she was so giving,so trusting in her ways.
So honest in her believings;so happy in her days.
We'll never know why this happened
nor will we ever
understand;
But we know she'll walk down heavens road,
Holding
your almighty hand.
Her family and friends will
miss her,memories will be of laughter and
love
She was a God send here on earth
Now she's an Angel up above. This poem was written
by Jessie
Plemel-Sperry |
