Mama Pam's Story

My mama, Pam, was a very special woman, a mother to 5 kids but a mom to every kid she ever met. She was kind-hearted, loving, and never spoke a bad word about anyone, and I do not just say that to honor her, I really mean she never said anything bad about any person. When I was 10 years old my mom was diagnosed with Polycythemia Vera, this disease is a blood cancer that causes your red blood cells to produce at a much higher rate than that of a normal person. My mom had to begin having her blood drawn monthly, take chemo pills in order to fight the cancer and thin her blood, and had to be very careful as at high risk of blood clots. In June of 2014, Pam had open-heart surgery to fix a valve in her heart and it was taking her a long time to recover and it was not going well. She was in and out of the hospital every 2 or 3 days, she was losing weight, couldn't eat or sleep, and could barely move. I tried to spend as much time with my mom in and out of the hospital that summer and be by her side whenever she needed me but I had to leave for college as it started in early August. On August 31st, 2014, I woke up to my brother calling me at 7:30am and I immediately knew something was wrong. My brother told me our mother had slipped into a coma and the doctors were running test after test to see what was wrong; I booked the first flight home and was by my mother's side within hours. A few days later, the doctors told my family that my mother had 2 types of Leukemia and it had taken over 90% of her blood cells, she passed on September 3rd with my entire family surrounding her. In my final moments with my mother, I made a promise to finish school, have a family, and always try to be positive and loving to all when they need it most; I told her I wanted to Live Like Pam. I finished college and double majored in Psychology and Human Development, I went on to intern for Child Protective Services and Child Family Welfare Services to help children and parents in need. I worked in foster care and social services for 3 years and now I am in school to get my Master's of Education in School counseling to continue to help and serve children! I miss my mom every single day, to be honest losing a family member does not get easier but it teaches you a lot about yourself and how you persevere through hard times. Resiliency is learned and cannot be taught; through adverse events is how someone develops resiliency and learns how to cope and recover. When you lose someone, they will still ALWAYS be a part of you; they love you, are watching down on you, and are so proud of every accomplishment you achieve. It may not feel like they are there but they are, and they are rooting and cheering for you every step of the way. Live your life with their memory and live a life that makes you and them proud. Be kind to others and always try to put yourself in someone else's shoes, you never know how much someone could need some love and support.

Thank you for listening to my story and I am always ready and available to help someone that may be hurting; Live Like Pam!!