Firg started to have problems with her neurological system about 3 years ago, and was eventually diagnosed with Vanishing White Matter syndrome, which is a recessive genetic disorder. Initially she had problems with balance and concentration, which progressed to the point that she was in a wheelchair. This was the ultimate cruelty for Firg since she was probably one of the most adventurous people I know. She traveled all over the globe and spent time mountain climbing in Nepal, exploring New Zealand, working in Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, The Virgin Islands and many other places. She would work for a bit, save up money and then go off on these amazing adventures often for several months at a time. Little did she know when she was in this phase of life, that she would be so grateful to have gone out and lived life to the fullest.
I'm so sad that Firg had to battle this illness in the first place, but I'm thankful that she is no longer suffering from it. My friend Andrea called me on Wednesday evening to say that Firg's sister had called to say she wasn't doing well. Andrea & I made the decision to go over and visit Firg with our husbands that evening. I'm really glad we did, because we both got a chance to say our goodbyes to her and to wish her on her next journey. She died just 2 hours after we were there and both of us told her it was ok to let go. We then called our friend Nancy, who was probably Firg's best friend, and she was able to get there to see her and was there when she died. We are all going to miss her so much and were blessed to call her a friend.
Here is a photo of us going out to visit Firg in 2004 in Denver. Firg is in the striped shirt.
Here is a photo of my high school friends at Firg's wedding in Sept '05:
Me & Firg on her wedding day:
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