Ashley Bohman, Rest in Peace

It is usually about this time on Sunday night that I sit down to recap our weekend. I was just this morning feeling so grateful that we were home this weekend and not in the hospital. Tonight, I cannot recap our events because I am sitting here in utter sadness. We lost one of our hospital family this morning. Ally's little five year old friend Ashley lost her battle early this morning. We have known this wonderful family since September when they came back into the hospital with Ashley...her AML had relapsed. Ashley was one of those beautiful full of life girls that would go skipping down the hall every chance that she got to go outside. I helped her and her sister Kenzi build a foam house in the lounge on one of the first days that I met them and she was full of spirit. On Ally's last day spent in the hospital, a warm November day, Ally and Ashley were swinging side-by-side at the hospital playground. I sat with Ashley's Dad on a park bench, and we mulled about all the unfairness in life and how hard it is to have a child with cancer. The worry and sadness was evident in his eyes, and I am sure he would say the same about me. I remember feeling guilty when we got to go home, and they had to stay. And that is the last that I have seen them.

You may remember that Ashley was a patron in Ally's nail salon a few weeks back. Here is the link back. http://all4ally.blogspot.com/2009/11/quick-post.html She squealed in delight over the color of her nail polish and soon after her sister and Mom were also at the salon.

I truly do not know what to say or how to feel in times like this. My heart is aching for Mike and Shelly and for her little sister Kenzi and their new baby Hailey. This is a strong reminder that life can be so fleeting and we have to hold onto it while it lasts. I am sitting here looking at a little coloring page that Ashley made us as a thank you when we let her borrow our Wii. It has been hanging on our refrigerator for a month and I just took it down a few days ago. Now it is my treasure.

I have not had the courage to tell Ally yet. I am not sure how to go about this. One more thing I will have to figure out, but not today. We are back to the hospital in the morning for treatment and I am hoping that she doesn't hear about it. I will find a way to tell her soon.

Please pray for strength for the Bohman family...that they may somehow find peace in the hard times ahead. I do know that Ashley is no longer suffering from any more treatments and most importantly she no longer has the cancer ruling her life. She is free of all the suffering and resting in peace. We love you little girl.