To One in Sorrow

Let me come in where you are weeping, friend,
And let me take your hand.
I, who have known a sorrow such as yours,
Can understand.
Let me come in – I would be very still
Beside you in your grief;
I would not bid you cease your weeping, friend,
Tears bring relief.
Let me come in – I would only breathe a prayer,
And hold your hand,
For I have known a sorrow such as yours,
And understand.

Grace Noll Crowdell

In loving memory of...

Dusty - Class 1996-01
Sarah Chwyl

Murphy - Class 1996-01
Sandy Pentland

Callae - Class 1996-02
Judy Spilde

Foxy - Class 1996-04
Marian Kadatz

Marley - Class 1996-05
Betty Groenink

Charlie - Class 1996-05
Dianne Koeli

Jasper - Class 1996–06
Lois Amer

Roofie - Class 1996-09
Marian Kadatz

Kacey - Class 1997-01
Deb Northfield

Bailey - Class 1997-02
Stephanie Harding

Shadow - Class 1997-03
Barb Bush

Maggie - Class 1997-03
Judith Nuss-Steele

Tindre - Class 1997-03
Jo-Anne Willman

Bubbles, Dusty, and Lacy - Class 1997-05
Theresa Hansman

O’Mally - Class 1997-05
Glenda Wyatt

Tess - Class 1997-06
Agnes von Lipinski
 

Hudson - Class 1997-06
Agnes von Lipinski

Sunny - Class 1997-07
Sandra Adams

Dyna - Class 1997-07
Madora Saul

Seymour - Class 1997-08
Maryann Peterson

Coco - Class 1997-08
Betty Siegler

Stuffy - Class 1997-09
Hedy Welsh

Brooke - Class 1998 -01
Susan Gerwing

Spencer - Class 1998-01
Duane & Lorraine MacTavish

Tess - Class 1998-03
Lou McDougall

Murphy - Class 1998-04
Kevin Zimmerman

Sammie - Class 1998-09
Janice and Jeff Fendall

Kix - Class 1998-09
Sandra Klatt

Kirstie - Class 1998-10
Deb Northfield

Wisper - Class 1999-01
Brian Jackson

Ming - Class 1999-02
Marsha Smart

Darby - Class 1999-03
Ruth Henderson

Billy - Class 1999-03
Norma Tindell

Precious - Class 1999-03
Norma Tindell

Tia - Class 1999-04
Suzanne Mitchell

Dreya - Class 1999-05
Darlene Fritz

Meg- Class 1999-05
Don & Doreen Millar

Dreyfus - Class 1999-05
Deb Proc

Bo - Class 2000-01
Gin Cummings

Toya - Class 2000-01
Carolyn Rein
 

Lady MacBeth - Class 2000-02
Lori Donner

Askhim - Class 2001-04
Wanda Wetterberg

A butterfly lights beside us like a sunbeam.
And for a brief moment
its glory and beauty belong to our world.
But then it flies on again…
And though we wish it could have stayed,
We feel so lucky to have seen it.

Author unknown

Please feel free to send in newspaper clippings, photographs, poems and "In Memoriam" letters and stories for our album of "Memories That Heal" or for posting on our tribute page.

My Nya

I thought that this might be a good way for me to deal with the loss of losing my Nya. The day was November 2, 2002. It was the hardest day for me in my life.

Nya was my baby, she has been in my life for the last 7 years, given to me by my boyfriend at the time and now my husband on our first Christmas together. I had started my life with her since she was 12 weeks old, at times it seems very difficult to even think that she is no longer here with me physically. I know or feel her with me at times, I picture her free of her pain and hope that she is okay.

Nya's fight with her brain tumour started about the summer that we were getting married. Just about a year and 1/2 ago. I can remember the day clearly in my head, we were at High park in Toronto, she was running around as free as a bird. She loved it when we went there. That park used to be a daily ritual for us when we lived in that area. It was the first time in my life that I have ever seen an animal have a seizure. I had no idea what was happening to my Nya. As the doctor had first discovered, we thought that it was your normal case of Epilepsy, that would of been the jack-pot, but as the months went by and the medication that she was on was not working, we decided to go for an MRI, with the recommendation from our Neurologist that Nya had seen.

So they we were the 3 of us making the weekend trip to London, Ontario that day. I knew in my heart that she had a brain tumour, for weeks before the appt. I had done some searching on the net and was looking for obvious clues to what a dog would have with a brain tumour. What would the side effects be, comparing them to Nya. The following week my worries were confirmed.

The neurologist that was handling Nya's case, is wonderful Dr. Susan Cochrane. She presented us with some options that we could take, one being an operation and the other being Chemotherapy treatment. We opted for the treatment after days of consulting and searching for information regarding the operation. It was too risky... the thought of Nya not making it through the operation, or having her come through the operation and not making the recuperation time and having the last people that see her be strangers and not her mom and dad, was heart wrenching. As you can see the odds were not in our favour.

My husband and I decided that if it was going to be that way, we decided that we wanted to make Nya's last couple of months or years depending on the growth of the tumour, to be the best for her.

We decided to take a holiday up in the mountains and spend some quality time with her. The whole vacation was based around Nya, Everywhere we went, she went. We never left her alone, she always came with us. If we felt like going out to dinner, we would take her along and order take out. We went on a canoe trip, long walks everyday up and down the mountains. Oh and before I forget, but how could I, the BEACH... her favourite place that whole week. She loved it there. She would get up from her slumber as soon as we pulled onto the pebble stone way, and instantly she knew where she was. The air must change or maybe she could just feel it. Try posing for a picture with mom on a rock, no way. she would cry her way to run into the water and chase her Kong that her dad would throw.

For some reason on our last day there, even through that whole week, she seemed like she was the old Nya, the Nya that had never even been tainted with this brain tumour. I had a feeling that this would be Nya's last summer with us. It was like she knew also.

As the months went by and the season of Fall was upon us, we could see Nya's condition was not getting better. It was the weekend of Halloween that we decided we should do something for Nya. We went and saw the neurologist to see what she thought. I remember what she said, " Nya is not having any fun these days". I knew what we had to do. I just kept thinking that a miracle would happen. Her breathing was being restricted, her eye sight was very narrow, all these things were so difficult to see my friend go through, when I knew how she is.

I remember holding her as she took her last breath, telling her that I loved her with all my heart. For her to be free of the pain that this tumour had brought her. To say hello to our other family friends that have blessed our lives years ago. To enjoy the beach and the park and to run... run as fast as she can.

We decided to have Nya cremated and have her returned to us. That was very odd and difficult for me to see; my husband went to pick Nya up. I still look at the side of my bedside table and see her there; I say good morning and goodnight to her always as I would if she were there lying on my side of the bed.

Nya was such a enormous part of our lives, more so mine... because she was my dog, I took her everywhere with me, I would sometimes call in sick to work, and have Nya days, where we would do things together all day. We would hop on the streetcar and go see the city, go to Starbucks for a coffee and do some street shopping, pass by the park and visit some of her friends. It was the best. I miss it dearly. She was in every picture that I have ever taken, we were a family of 3 and not 2 people and their dog. Our ritual before going for a walk after work, when we came home was a "GROUP HUG." Those were the best too.

I love Nya, I always will. I miss her dearly... but I know that she is in a better place where she is happy and free of all the pain that tumour caused her.

Thanks for spending the time getting to know my love for Nya.

Caroline Cosentino