I have VERY sad news, friends...

Dan Murphy

We are family.
Joined
Apr 20, 2000
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Our dear friend and DIS family member, Sylvia, aka NicksMom, passed away this morning, Thursday, June 7, at about 4 AM. <img src=http://www.ihs4ever.com/~cwm/otn/sad/1crysad.gif> After a very brave and courageous 3 1/2 year fight to overcome her inflammatory breast cancer, Sylvia left us today to be with God and the angels, pain and troublefree.

I had never had the pleasure of meeting Sylvia in person, but did have the pleasure of getting to know her over the past 18 months from when she met us here on the DIS. Over the past 8 or 9 months, I additionally had the priviledge of talking with Sylvia on the phone on a somewhat regular basis. I felt a very strong bond with Sylvia, who with her breast cancer, had a common link to Marie, a breast cancer survivor.

Sylvia came on the boards back in January, '00, looking for some budget help to take her DS, Nick, to Disney World. She was going to start a second round of chemo in March and did not know what lay ahead for her health wise. She wanted to take her Nick to WDW, as she had promised him in times past, while she was essentially still strong and 'healthy' before her chemo. She knew that it may be the last time she would be strong enough to make the trek and she did want to share her love of Disney with Nick. Our DIS friend, Maray, aka Marilyn, herself a breast cancer survivor, alerted me to Sylvia's first DIS post on the Budget Board. She said, 'Dan, we have to be able to do some for this lady and her little boy. We are the DIS afterall.' The DIS did come through, and through Pete's help, Sylvia and Nick did have a magical trip, his first, her last, to Disney World. I was so taken up with the human nature of the DIS, it was in itself, magical. Thank you again, Pete.

As it turned out, Sylvia's fears at that time were true...she was never physically able to make the trip again. She started her second chemo treatments very shortly after her return from WDW. Lasting several months, she again was feeling the ravages of her disease. A number of months after finishing her second, she had to begin her third round of chemo. She wound up going on a continual drip chemo, 24/7. She was also doing radiation treatments along the way.

A while back, Pete said he would like to have a little get-to-gether in Orlando, for the moderators and chat hosts...just a simple gathering to express his thanks to the moderator/host folks for the work they do around the DIS, a very nice gesture indeed. At first, Sylvia felt she would not be able to go, what with the travel concerns and stamina you need if you are going to make a mini vacation out of it. I worked diligently for a number of weeks to build up her comfort and confidence levels that she could tackle WDW for a few days either side of Pete's gathering by assuring her I would be at her side constantly, along with her mom. Well, fate should have it, she had to go to the hospital, as we all know, just under 4 weeks ago. Up until the week before she would have left to meet me in Florida, Sylvia was holding out that she would be able to go. Well, she was not of the strength to make the journey. I did talk to both her and her mom most every day while I was there, though her talk times were very limited due to sedation and just general weaknesss.

I last talked to Sylvia, I think last Thursday, while still in Orlando. I talked to her mom on Sunday. This evening I called and the hospital told me she passed away this morning. I called her mom, expressing mine and our collective sorrows and condolences. Her mom, Margarete, is in awe of the DIS. She can not express enough her feelings for what we meant to her daughter and how we made her last days, days she was wrapped with love, friendship and Disney. She said the hospital room walls were covered with cards, notes and letters taped to them. Margarete said she read them to Sylvia daily. She said the medical staff had never seen anything like it before. So many 'strangers' loving a 'stranger'. She had many stuffed animals and the like, many Eeyores, Sylvia's favorite. Margarete says she would love to personally express her thanks, but is not into computers. She asked me to and I am.

Like I said, I never met Sylvia, but am in tears writing this. She was a part of my life for the past 18 months. She was part of the DIS family for the past 18 months. She always will be, as will Tink 2300, aka Stephanie.


Many links to different threads regarding Sylvia


Services for Sylvia will be held at 11 AM EDT at:

Ratz-Bechtal Funeral Home
621 King Street West
Kitchener, ON
N2G 1C7


Condolences and the like may be sent to Sylvia's mom at:

Margarete Bluhm
35 Marketa Cr.
Kitchener, ON
N2B 3B5


Sylvia, I can see Eeyore, looking up at you now, as you join the angels and look down on your little Nick, and your family here on the DIS. I am so happy you are not in pain any more. Love ya, Sylvia, my friend. :sunny:

eeyore3.jpg
 
I can't believe this news. God rest her soul and comfort her family and friends.

Thanks for letting us know, Dan.
 
:( Oh Dan, how sad, I am glad though that Sylvia is at peace. Her family will stay in my thoughts and prayers!
 
Dan I never really got to know Sylvia but I wanted to express my condolences to her family, her family here on this board as well as the family she lived with.

kind of puts perspective on everything, doesn't it?
 


Dan: I never knew Sylvia (since I've only been posting regularly for approx. 3 mos), but I want to offer my condolences to you and all of the DISers who did know her. I saw posts about Sylvia and I knew she was sick. I am very sorry. :(
 
Thank you, Dan, for letting us know. Thank you for all that you did to help and comfort her and her family. Thank you for the tribute above.

My prayers are with her family.
 


Oh, this is such sad news. :( :( Her family will be in my prayers.

Thank you for sharing the news and the info, Dan. So sorry to lose someone so special. :(
 
May God hold Sylvia forever in his loving embrace, and may he comfort Nick and her family in the days ahead and forever.

{{{{BIG HUGS}}} to you Dan, I know this must be hard for you....I love you, my friend!
 
I'm very sorry, my condolences to her family.
 
Dan....you are quite a wonderful person. The tears are flowing for Nick's Mom. I am so sorry to hear of her passing. Will there be a fund set up for her son? Or should we send our gifts to her mom?
 
I didnt know her, nor was I even familar with her post, but she was very lucky to have friends like all of you. :(
 
I'm truly sorry to hear this. :( We had crossed cyber paths a couple times outside of the DIS also. I always felt she was really cool!! Rest in peace Sylvia, your pain is over. :(
 
Sylvia came over to the disABILITIES Board a few months ago looking for planning assistance so she could get the accomodations she needed to make that last trip... she was so positive and excited... but she wasn't able to make it. :( She was always such a positive force on the boards.

Very sad. Our prayers are with her family.
 
My thoughts and prayers go out to Sylvia's family...May God hold her dear tonight and forever....
 
Thankyou Dan for sharing this difficult news with us all.

I counted her as a friend and saw what a hard struggle it was for her.

We had several wonderful email conversations about hats......hats to cover her nearly bald head. I was always thinking about her whenever I saw a neato hat and wondered if it would be one she'd like.

What an interesting woman she was and I didn't even know her well!

Thanks again and my thoughts and prayers go with you and her family.

Patti
*but you already knew that didn't you?* :)
 
I cannot type through my tears.

That sweet soul.

Rest in peace, my friend.

-Nina
 

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