Stories of hope

My mother, Laurie Hughes, was what you would call an avid soccer mom. She enjoyed doing things with her children, and attending their events and games. She participated in every possible way that she could. On this particular day in November my mother was going to Columbus to take my youngest brother to soccer practice.

I can remember getting up that morning and greeting her in our bathroom, she was putting on her makeup. At that time I was almost 7 months pregnant with my daughter. So we both were joking about how the bathroom trips were only going to get worse as my pregnancy progressed. I was seventeen years old when I got pregnant with my daughter so my mother was very important to have while I was going through this experience.

She had plenty of advice to pass on to me as I also have two younger brothers. I can remember the day like it was yesterday. I was working. It was towards the end of my shift and my dad came into my work. I was taking a break in the back when one of my friends came and got me, and with a very serious look on her face, she said, “your mom has been in an accident”. I thought she was kidding, but it didn’t take me long to realize she wasn’t. She told me that my dad was waiting up front. He didn’t tell me much – just that my mom had been in a car accident in Columbus and that they were not sure what was wrong, but that the doctor’s were worried about her eyes, so they were going to do a cat scan. When we finally got to the hospital my family who was already there took me back into my mom’s room. I was not sure what to expect so I was very nervous. I walked into the room and my family was all standing around her bed just starring at my mom. She was hooked up to all of these monitors and a respirator. She was unresponsive, so I just sat by her side and held her hand. I was completely unaware of anyone or anything around me – just my mom. I remember thinking that you cannot leave me now your Granddaughter will be here soon and I really need you now!

My dad explained to me that my mom had a brain aneurysm and that the doctor’s think this weak spot in her brain was something that has been there all of her life. My dad said that because of the location of the aneurysm there was nothing that the doctor’s could do. It was located in the central part of her brain. He said that if they did go and try to operate that my mom would never fully recover, she would be a vegetable for the rest of her life. We all knew that no matter what my mom would not want that.

My mom died at 2:30am and my dad made the decision to donate her organs. This was the best decision that he could have made. We all knew it’s what my mom would want.

My mom will always be a part of my life and I know that she looks out for my family and me. On the day of her funeral, Nov. 6, 1997, I was admitted into the hospital with severe preclampsia and the doctors were afraid that because my blood pressure was so high that I would go into seizures and die along with my daughter. My doctors decided at that time to go ahead and induce my labor. I was 30 weeks pregnant. After 12 hours of labor I gave birth to a 2lb. 11oz. baby girl. She was on a respirator for only 24 hours and was in the hospital for 2 1/2 months, but she made it and thanks to her Grandmother for looking out for her she is doing perfect today.