Beautiful day for a beautiful soul

Thank you everyone for all the flowers! The day after the funeral, we went to the beach and took a boat into the ocean to scatter Darleen's ashes at sunset. She told my mom a long time ago after watching a movie that when she dies she wanted her ashes in the ocean so that is exactly what we did. There were birds and dolphins & all our friends and family, it was beautiful. The captain was so kind to give us the coordinates so we could go back to the same spot.

This is the eulogy that I couldn't read at the funeral.

We had our laughs, our fights, our late night talks, our schemes to get David to buy us food.

I had such a hard time thinking of one story to tell about you:

I remember when you were 12 before you were a vegetarian, I threw pizza at you because you tricked me and ordered cheese pizza instead of BBQ chicken. Sorry.

Or when we used to talk all night about boys, music, or catch up on what new crazy thing Jay (our older sister) was doing.

Or the first time you asked me to pluck your eyebrows for you and almost overnight you transformed from an ugly duckling into a peacock haha

Or when we were little and used to take baths together and try to come up with a whole bunch of love songs. We had a song that we could never finish that went "One Sunday morning, I started crying, because the love of my life's leaving me... " but I never would've guessed that the song was going to end like this.

We would take turns taking a nap in the car in the time between when we dropped off David at school and right before school started for you.

You were the balance in my life that kept me grounded, that helped me be stronger, that was there when I needed you.

Even if I got to see you everyday, I'd still feel like we didn't see each other enough whether I lived near you or 1000 miles away.

You're my baby sister, my best friend, the only person I told everything to when we talked on the phone or when I would be laying with you in your hospital bed. And I know you're gone, but you'll still be listening when I need you. And I can't wait until we meet again one day, but now is your turn to take a nap and I'll wake you up when it's mine. I love you. And I'm glad you're at peace. See you later.

-Malina

We know you are now at peace, our darling.

We're heartbroken to inform you that Darleen has passed away in her sleep Sunday morning. As you all know, she has been in a coma since March 19th, 2008 and was going through an enduring recovery process suffering from severe brain injury after the car accident. My father was with her the day before and said she was bright and smiling all day. The nurses were with her in the morning when we arrived and her heart just slowly stopped. She went very peacefully.

The funeral services will be held at:

Oak Ridge Funeral Home
1001 Grace Avenue East
Haines City, FL 33844
(863) 422-3933
http://oakridgefuneralcare.com/

Thursday February 2, 2012
Viewing from 1-5PM

Friday February 3, 2012
Viewing from 1-9PM

Saturday February 4, 2012
Funeral Service at 1PM

Today Darleen turns 20! Here's her birthday cupcakes!

Hey Y'all

Long time no see. It is our new years resolution this year to stay up to date on our blog. As we have been absent from it a lot has happened and now that things have calmed down we can take the time to give you updates. Pictures to come! And the funniest will be of Mia bald! Yes... she shaved her hair off hahahaha

Progress June-July

So, I'm usually in Florida every other week nowadays. I hate it when we go to the beach because I know Darleen's going to be mad at me for going without her, but I've saved some sea shells. =)

I also saved this pic of a hot LifeGuard for her. Haha.

Last time I was in Florida, she has been a lot more aware. She has actually moved to another room and is sharing a room with other patients now. Don't be alarmed! This is a good thing, as much as my face twitches when I say she's sharing a room now... I know that she is well enough to be moved to a multi-care room and not so intensive to be often tended to in her single room.

There are reflexologist that come three times a week. Twice a week are volunteered. Physical theraphy comes once week -volunteered. Reiki once a week- volunteered. We are overwhelmed with the generosity of people that have come into our lives. These specialists have volunteered their own personal time to see Darleen. We are SO thankful.

My dad does physical therapy excercises when he visits her everyday and he told me that she can do something new! When my dad asks her to raise her leg, she can raise it slightly on her OWN! My dad has done these little exercises with her everyday since she's been in recovery, so he doesn't realize the impact. He knows its progress, but I was in utter excitement when she showed me she could lift her leg ON HER OWN. That means she's starting to gain a little more muscle tone to be able to do this on her own. She is not as tense as she used to be, so she no longer has hand and foot braces to help keep her from tensing up. I know that it has taken a year for us to get this far, but this "little" progress is a lot more than most head trauma patients.

She can't talk yet, but I can definitely tell she wants to. When I talk to her I know that she's paying attention and looking at me like she really understands what I am saying. I feel connected with her when I talk and especially because I talk so much! =) When I tell her I borrowed her clothes, I know she wants to call me a "Bitch!" She moves her lips as if she's about to say something, but she just can't get the words out because she still has a trach hooked up to her throat for breathing. She is not yet eating solid foods on her own, so she tends to have phlegm. In due time, this will come off for vocal coaching.

While I've been on hiatus from this blog, I've noticed a lot of you have sent a lot more donations either via paypal or physical check. Thank you so much for your support! And I know many of you have myspaced & emailed me asking me to get off my lazy bum. =) Also greatly appreciated.

Feel free to email me at betherewithdarleen@gmail.com, if you want my address to send any cards or pictures. I also want to post any good pictures from graduation and/or that her friends have. Let me know!

-Malina

Here is a pic of the bird exhibit in the rehabilitation hospital she is staying at:

Honorary Diploma

So I haven't updated in a while. I APOLOGIZE everyone, I've been traveling a lot and work is swamped, so no time to post on here.

Anyway..... Good news, thank you all for wearing purple on your graduation! Darleen would really appreciate it and our family definitely does. If any of you have pix, please send them to me!

Darleen got an Honorary Diploma from Haines City High School. This is a huge deal! This is the kind of stuff Oprah gets from Universities! Lol. She has been recognized for her accomplishments while she was in highschool and it is really endearing to have the support of all her fellow classmates and Haines City High School. We're very appreciative of what Haines City HS has done for us and thank all of you for caring so much for your friend and our family.

David graduated 8th grade, it would've been awesome if they got to graduate at the same time! But next big step for us (Mia and I) is watching him be girl crazy! He's grown a lot, he's even taller than me! I used to be the tallest in the family at 5'4", but he's at 5'6" and he's on his way to the big leagues, HIGH SCHOOL!

Here's a pic of some of the photos in Darleen's room. And HEY FRIENDS - send me some photos and I will put them in a frame of her room. Email me at betherewithdarleen@gmail.com for my address. This will be great for reminiscing!

- Malina

Perspective

To put something into perspective... and as much as I try not to be sappy. I'm just in that type of mood =D.

I wanted to ask some questions that may seem a little disheartening. Although I am highly postive and cheer for Darleen's recovery, I sometimes find myself reflective and pondering what is she thinking, why wasn't it me, could it have been better, could it have been worse, what could have happened if..., etc, etc? Let me ask you these questions that I think about to myself...

If this is in your past or present...
What were you doing when you were 17?
What were you doing when you were 18?
What were you thinking about when you were at school?
What were you doing in the summer?
What were you thinking about when you were at graduation?
What were you feeling like when you went to the parties after graduation?

Sometimes these things break my heart thinking back and knowing what I, myself, was doing when I was 17 & 18, what I was doing when I was in high school, what I was doing when I graduated, what I was doing at those after graduation parties, what I was doing for spring break, summer, or at lunch time, what I was doing in college. I know that I wasn't recovering from severe head trauma, and I now don't take any of these things for granted.

I say this because I know that her friends and even people who were not her friends in school have come to me on myspace, on facebook, through email, even through text to say that they care for her and that they keep her in their prayers. It means so much to me, my family, and Darleen and I hope that everyone is also not taking these things for granted. I don't want people to think that I want them to feel bad or sad because we know that she will be fine, I just want them to be aware that we think of these things in hindsight, but we got to keep going and not let any of these things hold us back. Don't take anything you do for granted. Live with no regrets.

-Malina