When I started working at Staubach at the end of May 2004. I
had no idea just how much my life would change. I got to work with some amazing
people who I still talk to today. They became more than just my co-workers. Samantha (Sam) and I clicked right away. We have a lot in common and quickly became
friends. When I met her husband, Matt, it was very evident how much they love
and adore each other. When Aaron and I started dating we found out that Matt
and Aaron have a lot in common too. There is never a dull moment when the four
of us are together.
It was never a secret that the one thing Sam wanted in life
was to be a mom. We were all waiting for the moment when Sam would announce
that she was pregnant. I remember where we were when she told me she thought
she might be pregnant. It was so fun to watch our co-workers faces, especially
Jeremy, when she announced she was expecting.
We had several friends who had just had or were expecting
babies and it was so fun to watch my friends grow and bring beautiful babies
into the world. Aaron and I were excited when we found out Sam was in labor and
I remember waking up the next morning thinking surely she has had her by now! I
remember where I was when Matt finally called to say that Rebecca was here – I
was in one of the frozen food isles in the Kroger by our house in Coppell. I
couldn’t wait to get up to the hospital to meet and hold Rebecca. Rebecca was born
on September 15, 2007.
Now, those of you who really know me know that I was not the
little girl who dreamed of my wedding and having kids. I never babysat or changed
a diaper and holding babies wasn’t something I was really comfortable with. I
was getting better/more comfortable with each baby thanks to Mason and Ellen
being born. Mason was 2 to 3 months when I met and held him for the first time.
With Ellen, Sam and I went to the hospital to visit Marisol and then I held her
when she was a month or 2 old. I was slowly working my way to a smaller
baby!
During the first 10 months of Rebecca’s life we got to hang
out with her a bunch (we moved to Houston at that point). She showed me so much in that short time. She was the
first baby that I felt comfortable holding. She showed me that I did want to be
a mom at some point in the future and she made me feel that I could be a mom.
After trouble walking, a seizure, and tests run to figure
out what was going on, Sam and Matt were informed that Rebecca had Metachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD). MLD is
a rare and terminal neurological disease affecting about 1 in 40,000 births
worldwide. You can read about Rebecca by clicking here.
Rebecca passed
away this weekend in Matt’s arms. I can’t begin to imagine what Sam and Matt
are going through. I’m so thankful for Rebecca and I pray for Sam, Matt and their
family as they mourn the life of their ladybug.
I love you
Rebecca and thank you for giving me confidence that I could be a
mom. 