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For the rest of our lives, we’ll never think of our daughter without a smile on our face and a tear in our eyes. These past three years have been a roller coaster of emotions from the extreme excitement of her impending birth, to the absolute devastation we feel over her death. We have loved Paige so very much that our hearts feel that they are overflowing. She was our hopes and our dreams, she was our future and even though in reality we understand that our lives must go on, we can’t imagine it without Paige. For two glorious years, our house was filled with sunshine and laughter. Paige entertained all of us with her love for life. We were enamored with her every step of the way – from that first baby tooth to her first word. We sang the song “You Are My Sunshine” together not so much for the tune, but because she truly was the light of our life. Shortly after her second birthday, every parents’ worst nightmare became our reality. We were so heartbroken when we found out that Paige had cancer. We just couldn’t understand how this could be happening to us. After all the difficulties we faced trying to have a child, we counted her birth as the biggest blessing of our lives. Over the past year, we have exhausted every resource available trying to get Paige better and we spent every day in prayer hoping for a miracle. But, for whatever unknown reason, she continued to progress rapidly despite the most aggressive treatments. The only conclusion we can draw is that God was very lonely and needed another angel, and so, he called Paige home with him. If there is anything positive out of this, it’s that Paige didn’t understand what was happening to her. She had a true, unbridled zest for life and throughout all the treatments and surgeries she remained her own regal self; Princess Paige. We’ve admired so much about our daughter. We’ve admired her sunny disposition, her great tenacity, and her amazing lack of fear of the unknown. We are amazed that she inspired so many people – many who knew her, and some who didn’t. She has touched and changed the lives of many, and her death is a constant reminder to each of us just how fragile life is. Just as Paige literally stopped to smell the roses, so too should we! Paige was the typical three-year-old in so many ways. Her best buddy was her yellow lab, Levi, and she loved Disney, stickers, playing and singing. Whenever she would have a procedure and needed comfort, she would close her eyes and say to me “Mommy, sing sunshine”….and off we’d go humming and singing the lyrics together, pretending we were in a different place. We admired our daughter’s resilience. When she would be receiving a chemo treatment that would normally keep a child in bed, she’d be running for the playroom, IV pole in hand. If the playroom happened to be closed for some reason, she wanted to find her beloved “JoAnn” who ran it….and if JoAnn wasn’t around, that was okay too, because Paige would tell you to go to the drawer where the nurses kept the extra key just to get in! She was just too smart, and years ahead of her age in so many ways. Paige was an exceptional child, and although we are her parents, she was and remains our teacher. She reminds us to live for the moment and to relish what is before us. She taught us about bravery, and love, and about hope. She has been the most important person in our lives, and as we move from here today, we will honor her memory for all the days ahead. Paige also reminds us about friendship. We owe a debt of gratitude to so many of you. We thank our family and friends who have been by our side from day one. And we don’t know what we would have done without our beloved Hurley family. Please know that your prayers, your support, your shoulders and your quiet presence have been a true gift to us. We thank you for your love and kindness and it is that same love and kindness that will get us through the days ahead. Paige, you’ve been everything a Mommy and Daddy could ask for and we love you so much. Toodle Doo Paigey-pooh. |
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| Paige's Eulogy |
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