Death in the family

Life took a tragic and unexpected turn today as one of our younger family members died unexpectedly last night.

I got the call at seven in the morning today, and had to have my husband explain it twice before it could sink in.

"How can Vanessa be dead?" I asked "She was only fifteen."

"They think it was a brain aneurysm."

I found out more information when I went over to my sister-in-laws. My Sister-in-law was in no shape to speak to me, but her youngest son was.

He explained that Vanessa had been fine but had a headache.

She had a sleep over guest and they had done all the things you do with a sleep over; painted toes nails, watch movies, ate popcorn. But she had a headache and she said she was going to lay down for a while and see if it would go away.

It didn't.

A couple of minutes later Vanessa's overnight guest was running screaming for her parents--Vanessa was convulsing.

They called 911, and waited for the ambulance as they gave tried to revive her with no success. Precious minutes were lost as the ambulance got stopped by a train. The Paramedic finally arrived and tried to revive Vanessa without success.

They pronounced her dead on the scene and the coroner was call. She had died on her bed.

Her family member stayed around her touching her hands and her feet, as they gradually turned cold as her body cooled.

There is an autopsy being preformed, and the grieving family can not hold a funeral until the cause of death has been found.

I would like to say that the family are doing as well as can be expected, but I can not. This is tearing the parents up.

It's a shock.

Vanessa was their youngest and only daughter, her two older brothers are grown and one is married.

Vanessa was so young so vigant so full of life. She already had a young woman's grace. She was also a terrible tease one friend related to me. I know my own daughter felt close to her, and protective of her younger (by a year and half) cousin and she tried to look out for her at school.

I will always remember her as tall and willowy, with long dark hair that hung down her back with a twinkle in her big brown eyes. And as she hurried to where her father parked waiting to take her home after school, and they would then give me a wave before they left.

I'll miss her.

Fifteen is way too young to die.