(#1 Carla)

Opening / Mom’s Passing

 

Good day…

Family introductions

My name is Carla I am Sylvia’s youngest child and we would like to welcome you to the celebration of a truly remarkable women.

Her Passing:

We thought we would start with the tough stuff first as everyone is so shocked and in disbelief and we want you all to have the correct information and easier to tell you all at once rather than one by one… 
 

Yes Sylvia was a healthy and strong lady, who only took one pill a day for her thyroid. As Dr. Obayne put it she was not your typical 80 year old lady… And we can all testify to that she was remarkable until the day she passed. During one of the last clinic visit to renew prescription for thyroid Dr Obayne asked mom….. “Do you know what people your age do?” She shruggeded her shoulders and he said “Nothing” oh boy did we all laugh…. clearly that was not mom’s direction in life even at 83.

Sylvia had a peaceful passing on July 5th at the hospital here in Quesnel.

On the day of her passing she did her usual routine, on this particular day she choose not to do a project cause she was tired, so after her dinner at 10:00 am as she was up at 1:00am she went up stairs when she finished eating.

When I went to up at noon to put her eye drops in, to say goodbye gave her a kiss on cheek as part of our daily routine…all was normal and all was well.

Then at 6:30 she had a bowl of cereal and then around 7:00 pm she got sick and thought she had a touch of the flu so she took 2 aspirins and went to bed as was her normal thing to do if she felt off.

Then at 9:30 she called me and said you have to take me the hospital so she went by ambulance as the pain was so bad in her abdomen area.

After severals blood tests, ultra sound, and CT scan it was still unclear of the cause if it was a first a heart attack or if the decreased blood supply to organs stressed the heart.

At about 2:30am she sent me back to the cafe to open for one Timber Service guy who would be in at 3:40 for his lunch and breakfast. She wanted to be sure I got him off to work. The doctor looked at me and asked if we could close the cafe and I said to him you clearly do not know Sylvia you heard her I have to go. So off Gord and I went and told mom we would be back…. Then Sherry and Candace soon arrived. When we left hospital we were thinking that the doctors would figure out what was wrong and make her better…

After a short nap, we got the call to come in cause it was not good…

At any rate there was nothing else that could be done other than to make her as comfortable as possible as we said our I love you s and goodbyes.

It was not Sylvias wishes to be on any type of life support with no chance of survival. She passed shortly after being taken off iv’s with family by her side at 4:40pm.

As we remember Sylvia we need to remind ourselves and take comfort in the fact knowing she worked till the day she died and doing what she loved to do, all her typical stuff - from counting money, to early morning openings and all the baking, roasting of meats, delicious soups, her Perogies and cabbage rolls, the list is extensive.

There was really no way out for Ma at this age as we all know that it would have killed here not to be able to carry on as normal. Letting go of tasks at the store was not in Sylvia’s nature. Even if the store sold it a would have been hard on her as Sylvia’s was her life and she was like a duck out of water when we did get her out of the building.

Mom was exhausted and she didn’t give herself any time for rest and recovery which we all know is so important for our hormones and adrenals and organs to do their thing. She lived a healthy life to the end with only taking one thyroid pill a day. She had one drink a year and quit smoking in 1975.

The Lord had another purpose for mom and we can take comfort knowing she is in heaven…. Perhaps making cinnamon buns!

For all those who knew Sylvia, we know she did what she loved to do until the day she passed and that is the greatest blessing of all.