God blessed us with our first born, Emily Jean, in July 1971. She was vivacious and bright and so busy exploring the world that she slept very little! The diagnosis of a birth defect called Turner’s syndrome hit us hard, but we would decide not to let that condition ever limit her life in anyway.

It never did.

Emily grew and thrived despite having her first heart surgery at age 4½. No one was a stranger to Emily with her engaging smile and sense of humor. She learned to dance, sing solos, roller skate, and do gymnastics and spent four years riding in Westernaires, a horse club near Denver, Colorado. Emily blessed everyone around her with her cheerfulness and willingness to give.

It was once again a hard blow to discover that another heart surgery was in order right after she graduated from high school. But once again her tenacity and God’s loving hand repaired her body, and she headed off to Ft. Lewis College in Durango, Colorado,. Graduating with a degree in psychology, she returned to Denver to begin her adult life in the world of work.

After three or four job stops, Emily found her place in life working at a school for handicapped children. She loved those very special children, calling them her “kiddos” and empathizing with all their medical needs. She cared for them as though they were her own.
Outside of her job, Emily was always in the center of helping others through her church, whether by making cookies for a function, teaching Sunday school, having friends over for a Bible study, or just visiting the ill. She put her very strong faith into action by frequently taking sandwiches and winter coats to the homeless in Denver, and many times risked her own security to help others in need.

In 2005, Emily began having problems with high blood pressure, and it was back to the hospital for a heart work-up. Yes, she needed a third heart surgery. She made the decision to control her condition with medication at that time because she was in an 18-month program to learn massage therapy, which she wanted to use to help children with cerebral palsy. During that time, she would work all day and then study all night. She was thrilled to graduate from massage therapy school in December 2006.

Then, in January 2007, Emily had three heart surgeries in two days. Jesus called her home to a world of peace and freedom from pain on January 11, 2007.

The Colorado Private School Association recognized Emily posthumously with its Student of the Year award for 2006. The plaque appropriately read:

“Her legacy lives on in the lives of those she touched.”