Pitkin viikkoa, monen monta kertaa paivassa, BostonFinnsien listalle tuli lisaa ehdotuksia mista apua voisi saada ja lahjoituksia lennon jarjestamista varten. Voin vain kuvitella millaisen maaran sahkoposteja he ovat saaneet yksityisesti. Marikan tilannetta seurattiin paivittain ja saimme paivityksia hanen tilastaan. Perjantaina illalla tuli musertava tieto siita etta Marikan tila oli huonontunut niin paljon ettei ollut mitaan mahdollisuuksia saada hanta kotiin. :( Marikan perhe lensi kovalla kiireella tanne. Maanantaina ennen puolta paivaa Marika nukkui pois. Myos hanen siskonsa kerkesi Australiasta paikalle maanantain vastaisena yona. Han oli siis rakkaittensa ymparoima.
Olin aivan lohduton. Olin niin toivonut hanen paasevan kotiin toiveensa mukaan. Kaikesta murheesta huolimatta oli aivan uskomatonta kuinka suomalaisyhteiso herasi yhden asian puolesta. Uskomatonta kuinka aivan tuntemattoman ihmisen kohtalo kosketti nain. TASSA on linkki juttuun Marikasta seka hanen taistelustaan syopaa vastaan. Aika uskomaton tarina sinansa. Omalla tavalla aivan hirvea mutta toisaalta hanen suhtautuminen asiaan ja elamaan on inspiroiva ja muistuttaa miettimaan mika elamassa todellakin on tarkeaa. (Koska artikkeli on kirjoitettu melkein vuosi sitten se ei kerro etta Marika joutui viime jouluaattona sairaalaan maksa-arvojen romahdettua, eika sita etta viela kolme viikkoa sitten hanen aitinsa oli taalla vierailulla ja he kavivat ostoksilla yhdessa ja Marika ajoi autoa.) Nyt han on Taivaan Isan luona, ilman kipuja.
Levolle lasken Luojani,
Armias ole suojani,
jos en sijaltain nousisi,
ota taivaaseen tykosi.
Marika stepped into my life on Monday last week through Boston Finns mailing list. The message was about Marika but not by her. Her very good friend was writing and asking for help, tips advice how to fill Marika's last wish. Marika, 39- year-old Finnish woman, married to an American, was dying of cancer and her last wish was to go back home to Finland.
Boston area's Finnish community started pulling together to get Marika home. People were offering their flight points to pay for the flight (Finnair pretty much refused to accept donated points for Marika and her husband Eric), how the embassy could help, which organisations grant last wishes for dying people as well as patient flights and nurses for flights etc. They had tickets in business class (because of Marika's bad condition) for March 11th.
During the week, many many times a day there were more offers of help, suggestions where help could be found etc. I can only imagine the amount of emails they have gotten privately. Marika's condition was updated daily for all of us. On Friday evening we got crushing news. Her condition had collapsed in such a way that traveling was out of question. There was no way to grant her her last wish and get her home. :( Marika's family flew immediately over. On Monday before noon, Marika slept away. Her sister had managed to get here during the night of Monday. She was surrounded by loved ones.
I was heartbroken. I had so hoped she would get home. Despite all the sadness it was unbelievable how the Finnish community woke to pull together for this one matter. And it's quite unbelievable how someone's destiny touched this deeply. HERE is a link to an article about Marika and her battle against breast cancer. It's quite terrifying but at the same time her attitude is inspiring and reminds us to think what is really important in this life. (As the article was written nearly a year ago it doesn't tell that Marika was hospitalised this past Christmas Eve due to a collapse nor the fact that she was driving her mother around and shopping with her three weeks ago when her mother was here visiting.) Now she is with the heavenly Father, without pains.
(Unfortunately the little prayer in Finnish which lots of children use before going to bed has no translation.)
Photo copyright by Marika Warila
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