SUDEP Strikes (continued)
Grace passed away on December 11, 2011 at 8:14am with Perry and I holding her hand and telling her how much we and her brother and sister loved her. For those few individuals who were able to get to know our Grace know how much she loved her family, how much she took care of us, and how much our happiness brought her happiness. We knew that even as her body was slipping away, our Grace was worried about us. We told her it was okay to go. We told her she had always been a fighter, but she didn’t need to fight anymore and that it was okay to go. We reassured her that we’d be okay and she didn’t need to worry about us. We told her we’d take good care of Sarah and Garrett and would always to our best to ensure their happiness. We reassured her as best as we could so that she felt free to go. She had been such a fighter her entire life and I know she fought those final hours, not for herself, but so Perry and I could have those hours with her and be able to let her know we’d be okay.
Everyone has asked, ‘How was she the night before?’ Grace was perfectly fine the day before and there was no indication she wasn’t okay. We spent the day getting a Christmas tree, decorating the tree and watching Perry put up the Christmas lights. Grace enjoyed the day and time with the family. Our last picture of Grace is her standing with her arm around her sister Sarah in front of the Christmas tree. The day before she passed was a beautiful one, with Grace doing her favorite thing. She spent the day with her family.