"A Day For Kaye"

My husband came home for lunch today with a piece of paper in his hand. He said, "Someone asked me to give this to you".

It was 'A Day for Kaye' invitation. A party was being planned for a former employee and friend of mine to support her in her battle with melanoma. I had heard that she was being treated for a cancerous mole on her back but did not have many details.

I asked my husband who gave him the invitation to give to me and he said her sister. When I inquired if her sister had shared any details about her recovery he informed me she was dying and not expected to make it until Christmas. The doctors had declared her cancer free after removing the mole but a recent bone scan showed the cancer had spread via her bloodstream to her liver, lungs, and brain.

I immediately broke down and sobbed. This party, he continue to explain, is a chance for everyone to say goodbye and to celebrate her life.

She is going through radiation trying to get the tumor in the brain reduced and if they can they will then begin to try to do the same in the other areas. When I asked why they are treating her and at the same time giving her a death sentence, he said the doctors informed her that if they don't try to treat it now she faces intense pain as she gets to the end. So, she suffers now with all the side effects of radiation treatments, while trying to maximize her remaining time with her family.

She is only 37 years old and has a 10 yr old daughter and a 8 yr old son. She is divorced and remarried, so the kids have already gone through that and now this. I cannot imagine what this does to a family. I am so grieved for her and for her family.

Kaye is such a wonderful person. I enjoyed working for her at the convenience store almost 20 years ago and then later in our careers she worked for me at another company. We remained friendly throughout even with all the struggles of the workplace. I have always admired her strength, determination, and perseverance. If I remember correctly her own mother died when she was a young girl and her father died early, too. She is like the rock of that family, always sensible and moving on, never dwelling. I, not only grieve for her, I grieve for her sister and brother.

Friends, please say a little prayer for Kaye and her family for comfort and peace. I also ask for the Lord to be present and working in Kaye's heart and the heart of her family.