Dana PearsonWe lost a great light in the Life Raft Group with the passing of Dana Pearson back in June. Dana touched the lives of others in a profound way, always smiling, always reaching for life-affirming experiences in the midst of her own struggles.

Her last Facebook post summarizes her abiding faith and love of family:

“ At 1:23pm today I asked our lord and savior to give me a lift to heaven. I asked this without reservation as I have lived my life as he had asked of me. I leave behind a loving family that is not yet ready for my departure. Please limit the tears, as I prefer to be remembered for all the fun times we shared. I loved life and certainly wish I had more time to make more memories with each of you. There is no need to be concerned for me as I am with my loved ones in heaven where I will await the rest of my family and friends when it is their time.

To honor my presence here on earth, I ask that you hold your loved one tight and let them know you love them and reach out to that person in need to help them rise above their current situation. I am very thankful for all the amazing friendships I have enjoyed. I feel so blessed to have had so many and look forward to the day when we will be reunited. Until then, I ask that you live a full life, one you can look back on with the pride I feel right now. Life is so much shorter than you can imagine, but it is well worth the ride. Make those memories now while you have the time. I love “All Ya’ll” very much.

Until we meet again…”

If you didn’t have the privilege of meeting Dana, or have not yet seen the videos from our last Life Fest meeting, you can hear her talk about how side effects impacted her life here:

She will be greatly missed.