My Guardian Angel--Jada

Not many people realize the value of life or even cherish what it is like to be alive. Many just go out in the world not caring or realizing that life is valuable and time is precious. Nothing ever lasts forever and sadly I learned that from one of my dearest friends. Her name is Dana Grace Housley. Dana hasn’t been feeling great for the passed couple of weeks, she even missed finals because she has been complaining of headaches. She even went to the doctors but they said nothing was wrong. I was still young, only fourteen and I had just finished my freshman year. It was a normal start of summer for me, beginning with a softball tournament the week after we got out of school. Everything seemed routine. I woke up, got ready for my games not realizing I was about to go through the biggest tragedy of my young life. I get to the softball fields and there she was so full of life, smile as bright as ever. I didn’t realize that would be my last time seeing her smile. My team did our usual warm up routine getting ready for the games ahead. I remember asking her, “ Dana, how are you feeling? Any better?” She replied with her big smile and said, “ yes, I feel good. My head doesn’t hurt anymore.” The game was about to start and I felt happy, she was feeling better and everything seemed to be good. We got through the game about half way until everything became so unreal. Dana would always find little random items and give them to me and she would think it was so funny. She was always so random and when she was on deck she gave me another one of her random gifts. She called me over and told me to stick out my hand and she handed me the plastic thing that connects tags to clothes. I remember looking at her, laughing, and telling her, “ thank you.” She smiled and nodded laughing as well. That was the last time she made me laugh. It was her turn to bat and she hit a foul ball and ran to first base. She came back to home plate to pick her bat up to hit again and she collapsed. The stands got quiet. No one knew what was going on. She became unconscious and the ambulance was called. Luckily, one of the parents in the stands happened to be a nurse and held her over until the ambulance got there. When the ambulance arrived, they stripped off her shirt and placed her lifeless body on the gurney and rushed her to the nearest hospital which was down the street at Kaiser in Fontana. My team didn’t really understand what was happening at that time and just thought she had fainted. My coach pulled my team aside and asked if we wanted to finish playing the game so we decided to finish the game for her and won. We had an hour game break so my coach decided to go check on Dana at the hospital so he could update us on how she was doing. We got a phone call a little while later telling us things were not looking good and our precious Dana was now on life support, fighting for her life. We forfeited the tournament and went straight to the hospital. I remember feeling so helpless because all we could do was wait and pray. Nights and days at the hospital felt forever. I don’t think I slept at all that week she was in the hospital. Her parents came down and asked us if we wanted to see her but it was going to be hard looking at her because she was connected to a whole bunch of tubes and a big machine. I went up to her room and held her hand asking her if she could please wake up. I stayed up there for a while telling her it was okay if she wanted to go and I’d still always love her and never forget her. I gave her a kiss on her forehead and pale cheeks making sure she knew I was there. Everything felt like a living nightmare. The doctors said it would be a miracle if she woke up and even if she did, she

wouldn’t remember anyone and become a vegetable. She had a brain aneurysm which is very rare for a fifteen year old to have. Danas’ parents finally pulled the plug the fifth day she was in the hospital. I remember that day so vividly. I didn’t think I would ever stop crying. She passed away on February 27, 2015. She was a beautiful girl and had the most beautiful soul. She had the most purest heart and such bubbly personality. She was always friendly and nice to everyone and could make anyone’s day by just being her. I will never forget all the laughs she gave me. I miss playing softball with her because she was such a good teammate. It was really hard for me because I used to see her everyday. I saw her at school and with our travel ball team on the weekends. It wasn’t easy getting used to not seeing her everyday. I always questioned why such a terrible thing could happen to such a good person. Some images I wish I could unsee like her falling, or her in the hospital, or even her lying peacefully in her casket. I had to mature at such a young age and learned such an important life lesson which was things can change in a matter of seconds and to not take anyone or anything for granted. She was a fallen angel and I am proud to say she was one of my best friends. I know she is happy and doing okay because she told me that in my dreams one night. She always reminds me that she’s still here because I find items that she loved in random places. One time I found a bouquet of sunflowers on the beach stuck in the sand by the shore. Sunflowers were her favorite. I am blessed to know that she is now my guardian angel and is forever with me always.