A STORY OF AN AUNT AND HER 1ST BORN NIECE
Be not forgetful to entertain strangers for there by some have entertained angels unawares HEB 13:2
July 25, 1964 - March 8, 1999
Our Heavenly Father called Kara home. She is no longer suffering and for this I'm grateful. Kara had done her job here on earth and God called her because He had bigger plans for her in His Kingdom. She's busy preparing a place for the rest of us.
For those of you who are curious who this Aintie is, I go by MamaŽ on the internet. I may or may not have had the opportunity to meet you, but I'm sure if you were sent to this site then you had to have known someone that I know. Thanks for coming here.
One Saturday evening, on July 25, 1964 a precious little girl was born. She was to be my 1st niece and was Christianed, Kara Kay Moon. (see pic to left). I had to have been the proudest aunt in the world, even prouder than any parent or grandparent could have been at that time and still am. I loved that baby more than life itself and grew to love her more than words could ever describe. I thanked God for my sister Peggy, who delivered Kara. There was an immediate bond between aunt and niece that was without a doubt planted by God.
As Kara was beginning to talk I decided I was going to be her "Aintie". No "Aunt" anything. This was too formal and I wanted
a closeness between us that nothing except "Aintie" would do. I was still a young girl at this time and still in high school, but every spare moment of my time was spent with MY niece. One of her first words was "Aintie"...I can still see her precious little mouth twisting and drooling as she struggled to say the word I'd been waiting to hear. As time went on, she seemed to want to do everything she could do to please her Aintie...didn't matter what her parents or her grandparents thought (my opinion), but what her Aintie thought. Kara used the potty confidentally for Aintie; Kara took her first steps for Aintie; Kara said the Pledge of Allegiance (give or take a few words...*S*) at age 2 1/2 years for Aintie..
At age 4, Kara was flower girl at Aintie's wedding. *S* OH! The memories of that day swell my heart with laughter. During the prayer before we were pronounced "man and wife", Kara peeked around me and my big huge bridal gown and yelled at the top of her lungs...."HI MEMA!!!!!!!!" and was waving as hard as she could to my mother. No way could I be upset over this. This was MY niece and she could do NO wrong in my eyes! *L* Then, she began to grow a little older and by age 5 she was writing me letters so full of love that my heart just burst! She would call me Aintie at every turn, except when she was introducing me to her friends. Then, I became her Aunt Terry. *soft smile* I knew she was doing this so she wouldn't sound so childish, but later on realized she had the respect for me that she wanted her friends to know what her Aintie's real name was...that I even had a name. *L*
Then, came the age where she was able to come stay with her Aintie and Uncle. She was such a "big girl" now. Rode the bus all alone at age 8. Kara started piano lessons at age 4 and she became an avid pianist and soloist and always knew that when she sat down at the piano I would sit there and beam as if she were the only person in the world who had ever or could ever play a piano and sing. *S* When my father died in 1990, Kara played the piano and sang "Beyond the Sunset" with her mother (my sister). I prayed that Kara could get thru this without a struggle because she loved her Papa dearly. "Beyond the Sunset" is such a spiritual song and hard enough to read the words without choking up, much less watching my niece up there belting it out with all she had to give in the beautiful voice of hers. She also played the piano and sang for her church on a regular basis until the cancer made it impossible. Kara went on to get married and now has 2 beautiful children. (See photo of Kara with children). Micah Elise is 8 years old and Evan Daniel is 3 years old. And, yes! I am just as proud of them as I am of Kara. *S*
During her pregnancy with Evan, Kara kept having pain in her right groin area which had been diagnosed as pinched nerve, etc. Was told that after the delivery she should feel much better. The feel much better didn't come and she was tested by physician after physician and was found to have a rare type cancer (sarcoma) in her pelvic area. In July of 1997 she was operated on and had her right pubic bone, right pelvis and right hip removed. An artificial hip was made for her so she could at least use her leg even if it was just to swing it forwards and backwards. Of course Aintie went to see her while she was in the hospital in Dallas and inside, my heart was crying out to God.....PLEASE! Please Don't take her away from me! Get her all better for the family and for her very own precious little children.
The healing process from this surgery was very slow and painful for her and finally by April or May of 1998 she was progressing to where she could walk around pretty good with the aid of a walker. We were all so thankful of this recovery and just beginning to realize she was going to be ok when pain once again set in. By June 1998, she was suffering so badly and my sister once again rushed her to Dallas for tests. more CANCER! This time in tailbone area. After 5 weeks of radiation she was to undergo more surgery. This surgery was not as easy because the tumor had grown "fingers" and had entwined itself all in the nerves of that area. But, then the doctors were optimistic that they got it all. We were all breathing a sigh of relief once more. By now I'm on my knees constantly pleading to God to listen to the people praying for her. Kara hadn't been home 3 days from this last surgery when pain set in again! This time in her right leg. The pain was so severe that she was rushed by ambulance back to Dallas. Diagnosis? Aggressive malignancy in her thigh. She was a fighter and a strong believer in prayer. She underwent a few weeks more of radiation and just before starting chemo more cat scans were done and the cancer was all over her body!
I want to thank all of you who prayed for Kara, Peggy, the doctors tending her and anyone else associated with Kara's well being and comfort from pain.
UPDATED PICTURE OF KARA'S CHILDREN
Micah and Evan, 2002
Micah 2004
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