Taylor Kate

There was a little boy named Cole in my preschool class last year and we had a special bond. :) He told me every day he wanted to marry me and would kiss my hand when I buckled him in his car seat at the end of every day. At Christmas, he picked out a very nice Vera Bradley purse for me and was so excited to watch me open it. :) At the end of the school year, he picked out black earrings and a huge cupcake flavored Yankee candle. :) It was so funny because his mom always apologized and said, "I'm sorry if you don't like this, but Cole INSISTED that you would like them and he really wanted to give them to you." I loved every single one, especially because he picked them out.


Here we are at our Christmas party at school. Too cute for words!

Anyway, I got a very sad message Monday night from my old boss in North Carolina. She told me that his little sister, Taylor Kate, passed away. Her parents wrote this on her website a few years ago:

"Taylor Kate was born on October 21, 2005. She was a healthy, beautiful baby girl. She developed typically until she was about 6 months old. TK's mother had several concerns about her mobility. She was taken to several therapists and doctors without anyone showing concern at this point. One week after TK's 1st birthday she was taken to the pediatrician for a well child check-up, where her mother expressed concern towards her breathing while sleeping. To make a long story short, within a matter of hours, TK was admitted into the Pediatric ICU for 3 months on a breathing machine. TK and her family have been several places across the country to different specialists for a diagnosis. The latest test, genetic sequencing, came back normal and to this point TK does not have a diagnosis after extensive testing and multiple visits to expert physicians. TK is now home with her family and is a very happy girl. She still needs the assistance of the ventilator to breathe. TK loves her brother dearly and attended preschool with him on Mondays last year. This year TK will begin preschool herself. We are still trying and praying for answers. We are so thankful to our family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers for the help and support we have received. We thank God everyday for TK's precious smile and for each day with her."


I babysat for Cole a couple of times this past summer and was able to see Taylor Kate too. Even though her quality of life was MUCH different than her brothers, it was very obvious from the minute you walked into their house how much they loved both of their children! They adored their daughter and did everything possible to include Taylor Kate in everything they did. Cole also LOVED his sister. It was so sweet to hear him talk about her.


This picture was taken the night of Cole's preschool graduation. So precious!

I've been thinking/praying for them all week and my heart just breaks for them. The memorial service is tonight and I wish I could be there. I sent a little package in the mail to Cole today. I bought a little stuffed animal and a few toys to cheer him up. He's only 5 and I'm sure he doesn't completely grasp what happened to her, but life will be a lot different without his sister.

I was having a pity party Monday night about some car issues and then I got the message about Taylor Kate. Needless to say, I was not feeling so sorry for myself anymore. Yes, car issues are a huge pain in the rear, but at least I'm not dealing with the death of my daughter or sister. Perspective.

Please keep the Reason family in your prayers. I'm so thankful that she is in heaven and her little body is now completely healed. Although her time on this earth was short, she was deeply loved and will be greatly missed. Pray that her family will feel God's love, peace and comfort during this unimaginable time.