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In
Loving Memory or Our Daughter
July 22, 1997 - December 26, 2000
Remembering Marissa
Susan Darst Williams www.DailySusan.com
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:21
There's a charity golf tournament next weekend that strikes a deep,
mellow chord in my heart. It's for a 3-year-old girl whose mom called
her "Missy McGoo." It's a fund-raiser for leukemia research because
that's how Omahans Dan and Rhona Yetts are dealing with the death
of their daughter, Marissa Ranee. They're striking back at the disease
by raising money to find a cure. They could wallow. They could get
bitter. They could turn their backs on God. Instead, they're staying
positive. "I just feel closer to God, and that makes me feel closer
to Marissa," her mother said. It was Christmas Day, 2000. Santa
was bringing Marissa a pink hula hoop, her dream gift. But she didn't
rush to the tree. She climbed into her 6'6" daddy's lap, and stayed
there, listlessly, all morning. She had a fever, and a red spot
on the back of her neck. As the morning wore on, she developed more
red pindots. A cool bath and medication did nothing. So the pediatrician
told them to take her to Children's Hospital. The ER doctor felt
underneath Marissa's ribcage. Her liver and spleen were sticking
out. "I hate to tell you this, especially on Christmas," he said,
"but I think she's got leukemia." WHHHAAAT?!? The rest of the day,
they began discussions with medical staff on testing and treatment
regimens. Everyone thought she had a common kind, with an 86% cure
rate. Rhona said, "We thought, ?Next Christmas is going to be better,
because she will have beaten this thing.'" Late that night, Dan
stayed at the hospital. Rhona went home to sleep, and relieve relatives
caring for the couple's 10-month-old twins, Ranee and Ryan. At 4
a.m., Dan called. "Marissa wants her mommy," he said. She raced
there, and cuddled her 30-pound daughter. Marissa started having
"accidents." Then they couldn't draw blood from her and suspected
sepsis - blood poisoning. Finally, she quit breathing. She had gone
into cardiac arrest. They started CPR, and worked and worked. The
parents stood at the foot of the bed. Rhona started "losing it,"
so they ushered her into a room and put a sheet up. Rhona thought,
"Oh, my God, it took me eight years to have her, and now You're
taking her away, in 24 hours?" They went to the ICU. Shortly, Marissa
was gone. Visitation took 13 hours. For the funeral, they dressed
her in a blue velvet dress with a pink bow. A friend sang "Glory
Baby." The Yettses are big Omaha Lancers hockey fans and have hosted
Lancers from out of town. The night of her funeral, the team mascot
put pink balloons on center ice for a moment of silence, and put
them on Marissa's seat. Rhona said, "I was really angry at first,
but I had taught her Sunday School class, and she knew all about
heaven and Jesus." She and Dan went to Living With Loss counseling
with several other parents. They were advised to do something tangible
with their grief. Dan came up with the idea of a spaghetti dinner
and sports auction, and golf tournament. So the Marissa Yetts Foundation
was born. Come see: www.zcraft.com/marissa and note that hole sponsorships
($150) and greens fees ($75 per person) are accepted through Thursday,
and donations any time, for the golf tournament next Sunday at Tregaron
in Bellevue, Neb. The foundation has raised more than $48,000 for
the University of Nebraska Medical Center and other children's charities.
Life has gone on. Little touches of tenderness have meant a lot.
Every July 22, Marissa's birthday, Rhona takes the twins to Marissa's
grave. They kiss pink balloons, and send them up to heaven. Recently,
Rhona ran into one of Marissa's old Sunday School chums, Nicole.
She got goose bumps to learn that, every time Nicole is offered
a balloon, she picks a pink one . . . and kisses it . . . and sends
it up to heaven . . . to Marissa. That's no coincidence. That's
God. That's a reassuring link between a bubbly little girl nicknamed
Missy McGoo . . . and the loved ones she'll see again someday.
7/17/05 Radiant Beams Copyright 2005
Susan Darst Williams, www.DailySusan.com, is a writer, wife and
mother of four who lives at the base of Mount Laundry, Nebraska.
Join her daily or weekly email lists for her free features, and
browse her bookstore for lifestyle advice and entertainment aimed
for the heart of the home.
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We have established this foundation
in the memory of our daughter who was taken to eternal rest on December
26, 2000.
She was diagnosed with leukemia on December 25, 2000 and passed
away the next day with the complication of Sepsis (a blood disorder).
This years annual spaghetti dinner and auction will be held on:
Saturday, April 17,
2010
at
Tangier Center
2823 South 84th Street
Omaha, NE
This years annual
golf outing will be:
TBD (as of Jan 2010)
at
Tara Hills
1410 Western Hills Drive Papillion, NE
If you have any questions
about the foundation or the items in the auction, please contact
Dan or Rhona at the e-mail address below.
A Flyer of the event is available, click on the links below to get yours.
Flyer (DOC)
Flyer (PDF)
To get the Acrobat reader for the PDF version please visit Adobe at the link below
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