KERRI

Kerri was one of those babies that woke up everyday with a smile on her face. She was a very happy baby, which made my job easier as a first-time mom. As she grew I made certain that I took her to swimming lessons to make sure she was as pool-safe as possible. I believe I enrolled her in “Mommy and Me” lessons when she was only 6 months old. She seemed to adapt quickly to the water environment and with some practice would paddle and kick her way between her dad and me. She continued with lessons even after she graduated from “Mommy and Me” lessons.

I remember one pool incident when Kerri was around 18 months old. She was seated on the side of the pool waiting for the instructor to give the next activity. She had discovered her toes, which were barely peeking out of the water, and she began to lean forward to observe them more closely. I was in the water in front of her and very aware if she continued her lean she would find herself in the water. She ever so gently slid into the water. I watched as her eyes peered toward the bubbly surface and then I could see her little arms paddle rapidly bringing her towards the surface. Her eyes were as big as I had ever seen them. Big blue discs as she approached and then broke the surface of the water. She paddled to the wall and wasn’t really afraid, but very startled. Success! She was well on her way to becoming pool-safe.

As Kerri matured she continued with swimming and the community pool made accommodations for her to swim with slightly older children because she was advanced for her age due to the early swim lessons. Health issues arose. Every time Kerri caught a cold she invariably had difficulty with moderate to severe asthma. Further medical checkups revealed she was not only asthmatic, but also very allergic to certain foods. Kerri was dramatically allergic to any and all tree nuts, we took immediate measures to make certain she did not come in contact with any of the allergens she was allergic to.

Kerri grew gracefully into a smart and beautiful young woman. She was active in sports, but particularly swimming which continued to be her main athletic outlet. With high school years came the predictable interests in fashion, music of all types and make-up. Even in her young adult years she continued to be fascinated by make-up and she bought a book that showed different styles of signature make-up on movie stars. I was greeted one morning by Kerri “Mom, do I look like Marilyn Monroe? This is her make-up!”

When Kerri entered college at University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) she continued with dedicated study habits and eventually graduated with a dual major in sociology and criminal justice . . . with honors to boot! She studied hard and fully participated in student life.

If Kerri were still with us, I’m sure she would want us to know how very aware she was of her surroundings and the family and friends helping her through the fog that so hindered her body and mind. She would want us to know that having family as advocates was one of the most important parts in educating doctors, nurses and other medical staff on how to best help Kerri.