Special Request

Years ago, we became friends with an amazing young woman, Susan.  We met at a rock climbing gym and played a significant role in her meeting Matt.  (Now, the falling in love part is all HIS doing!)  

Here are the 4 of us, and a friend from Italy, at our climbing gym.  Susan and Matt are on your left.  

Susan and Matt fell in love and got married...  

And Susan paid me the most singular honor of trusting me to make her wedding dress.  

A couple of years later, they were joined by the most adorable young man, Andrew.  Here he is at his first birthday party:  

You may have been able to predict where the story was going up until now.  But no one could have predicted what happened on Monday.  Out of the blue, Susan suffered a massive stroke.  To date, neither medication nor surgery to remove a piece of her skull have been able to prevent the swelling from impacting other areas of her brain, including her brain stem.  

She is currently lying in a hospital bed, unresponsive, with medicines controlling her blood pressure, a machine controlling her breathing, and a special type of blanket controlling her body temperature - while her husband keeps vigil, holding her hand, and her two-year old son plays with toys in the children's waiting room...  

Her friends have set up a website where you can leave a message of love and support or read stories about Susan written by just some of the many people who love her.  Every day, her husband reads those messages and those stories to her, believing that she can hear them and will feel the strength and outpouring of love traveling through the internet.  

Here is the website: http://www.susan.llamabear.com/

Please keep this family in your hearts, your thoughts and your prayers.  If you feel moved to do so, please leave them a message - every single message speaks to their hearts and gives them strength.  And don't forget to kiss your husband, your parents, your children, and tell them that you love them.  Thank you.