Sending you a hug  / Jane Throckmorton
Diane, just wanted to let you know that you and your Angels are still in my thoughts and prayers. 4 years now since Evan's Rebirth..I still think about him every day...I would appreciate if you would visit Evan's new site at www.celebratingevan.muchloved.com  God Bless you my friend! Evan's Mama, Jane

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In Washington DC  / Diane Craddock, Mom Of JJ And Michele Wade
I'm Diane Craddock, a 54 year old grandmother from Carrsville Virginia that became a kinship caregiver in February 1996. We gained custody of two young grandsons (my son's children....ages 3 and 4), thinking it would be a temporary situation. The struggles were tremendous for us when we should be enjoying a calm quiet home after our own children grew up and moved out. The financial, physical, and emotional roller coaster for the next eight was overwhelming.... never realizing how much more difficult it could get.

Four years ago my only son (31 years old) two boys (ages 10 & 11 at this time) were further traumatized by finding him dead. My only daughter (27 years old) moved in to help with his grief stricken boys, never imagining that three and half months later she would be killed instantly when an irresponsible driver crossed the centerline. Her youngest child (a3 year old son....one of four children) received a trauma brain injury in the crash. We now had custody of three children; two emotionally disturbed and one physically injuried.

We found out first hand, much needed weekly outpatient counseling sessions (with Medicaid) are only available for the first year, the following years the minor children are only allowed 26 weeks. Unlike foster care parents, we were not provided the opportunity to receive respite care services. Due to the emotional turmoil, continuous stress, and added financial burdens my husband (of ten years) and I separated Thanksgiving 2006 which contributed to another form of loss for our fragile family. 

It is important to focus on prevention vs. removal to reduce long range cost and further trauma for the children. Unfortunately, in February 2007 I had to sign legal papers and transfer custody of my son's youngest child to Virginia Department of Social Services....to protect and provide the extensive care mental health Jamie was in drastic need of. It broke my heart to have to sign the medically needed paperwork but he continually wanted to hurt himself and others. In the first seven months he was placed in foster family homes (three overall). When he misbehaved they took away his right to talk to his remaining family members. Being placed in foster homes contributed to setbacks for him...emotionally feeling he had lost everything and had nothing to look forward to, he continued to regress.  In October 2007, the Department of Social Services moved him to a hospital six hours from our home. Last month Jamie turned 15 years old in Keystone Marion Youth Center for emotionally disturbed children. He has been in the facility since October. This facility is a six hour drive (one way) from our home, which I make a minimum of one time a month. The trip is emotionally and physically draining for Jamie's 16 year brother and myself.

Foster care is an important part of society but should come after kinship caregivers.....all children should have the right to their family connections. Everyone needs to ALWAYS consider family first and allow kinship caregivers and their minor children the same benefits, rights, and dignity as foster care and their foster children. Remember first and foremost "the best interest of the child" should be everyone's top priority. 

 CHILDREN WILL NEVER AGE OUT OF BEING FAMILY!!!  Take time to imagine the unimaginable... tomorrow it could be your grandchild.
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lovingly / Sharon Quick (SIP)
Diane Just to let you know that I visited your loving web site.May your Angel's give you a very special ((hug)).sharon  Angel Scotty's mom Close

thinking about you  / Shirley Baer (none)
You and your angels are in my thoughts and prayers during this holiday season. Close

Wishing you the best  / Henry
I found your webpage and Iam sorry for your loss.  We lost our daughter 2 years ago and the pain today is almost as fresh as 2 years ago . I wish you all the best during this holiday season and strenght in the coming weeks Close

Remembering & Missing with You  / Diane Feeney (friend from Groww )
((( Diane )))

Greetings and kind wishes from the other Diane @ Groww [aka scream]. I haven't been able to review your entire site on this, my first visit, but will be back to check out everything. WOW! Is all I can say about what I've seen so far. I will return soon to visit all of the links, resources, and memorials. 'Til then.... (((((hugs))))) and prayers.

xxxxx
Diane, SarahsMom4ever Close

http://www.angelfire-.com/poetry/memorial-pages6/hunter1.html / Linda(HUNTER MOM FOREVER) KIRKLAND (FRIEND FROM GROWW )
Diane, you are a wonderful woman, mother, and grandmother. God Bless you with all you do for remembering our children and keeping their memories alive forever in our hearts. Close

http://www.angelfire-.com/poetry/memorial-pages6/hunter1.html / Linda Kirkland (FRIEND)
Diane, what a beautigul site you are making of this. You are a very special, woman, mother, grandmother. May God keep blessing you with joy, love and peace and most of all laughter from all your children and the love around you. God Bless Close

WITH DEEP AND PROFOUND GRATITUDE!!!  / Aggie Sparnecht (New Friend )

My Dearest New Angel/Friend, Diane:

I thank the Lord for bringing you and your family into my life by way of this magnificent website, your kind E-mails, and the Memorial Websites for your beloved children!!

There are no words to express how thankful I am for the work that you are doing in remembering our lost Angels world-wide each year, in memory of your own.  No greater accomplishment could possibly make them more proud than what you have achieved, and dedicated your life to, in addition to raising your grandchildren!!

4 years ago, I lost absolutely EVERYTHING that I worked so hard for all of my life, and found myself homeless, peniless and very very ill.  In a matter of one year, I lost my husband, my home, my saving, my vehicle, my business, and finally my only child.  Today I am disabled and barely able to make ends meet, yet also raising my only grandson, wondering each day how in the world we will ever make it.  I covet your prayers, especially for my grandson Ryan, who is a totally shattered and broken hearted young man.  When he completed his first year of college, he also lost Everything during Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, where he was born and attended school.  Due to his mother's addiction, he was left to fend for himself from the age of 9, and it was well hidden from me, because I was so ill.  The only family we have is eachother, and all my boy would love to do is to go back to school so he can make something of himself.  We do not have transportation, and I am for the most part homebound and financially cannot help him in anyway.  Being a professional business woman for all of my career, we had a wonderful and comfortable life, loving the Lord and His people, until my husband abandoned us for a younger, healthy woman, when I got sick.  He simply could not handle illness!! I have been on my own for 10 years.  4 years ago, I was mis-diagnosed by my then tusted Primary Care Physician, who treated me with 2 medications for an illness I didn't have, and I literally began to die, since the medications became toxic to my system.  My daughter came and toook me back to Louisiana, where I was hospitalized for 6 weeks, and a specialist gathered a team of doctors who like peeling back the layers of an onion had to figure out why all my vital organs were shutting down.  The doctor here, had pulled every single piece of paper from my chart  that had to with his diagnosis, and the drugs which he had compounded by an out of state pharmacy.  This was a criminal act, and I was not given even 1% of living.  But....I am living, which has to count for something, though I confess that it would be easier sometimes not to get up in the morning.  Because I strongly believe that the Lord spared my life, He has something left for me to do, which is to try to give some sense of stability to my grandson.  I was still not recovered 2 years after this horror story, and when I went to sue the doctor, they are well covered in that the statute of limitations runs out in 2 years, and if you are not weel enough by then, you are out of luck.  The one and only thing which I own that is mine, is this computer.  It has been my window to the world, because all I can do is to look out the wondow here, and smell the roses in my mind, since  I can't get outside without transportation.  I have called and written to every agency, every one who might be of assistance, and we don't qualify for any assistance because my Disability income is $8.00 too much.  I have done it all, and I am so tired.  Ofcourse I still have the illness that I had originally, and this is incurable.  I was diagnosed with this at age 39, but was able to fake it for many years, until I could no longer out one foot infront of the other.  In anycase, I ask for your prayers again for my grandson.  I have lived my life and don't care about myself, but this fine young man didn't deserve the incredibly difficult life that he has lived.  By the time he was 10 years old, he had lived 10 life times.  With these terribole hardships, I never gave up on God, and never will.

I thank you for coming into my life, because I also lost all of my friends, when I could no longer afford do do with them what we used to do together, and the little family I have are all over seas, which is where we were born and escaped from many years ago.  They are all very well off, but abandoned us as well, after I could no longer keep up with their life styles!! So, as you can see, things are extremely difficult for me as well, but atleast  I am alive, and hopefully can be of some good to someone, like I used to be.

Thank you for allowing me to share this with you, as I seldom talk about this to anyone.  Though not at all my fault, I still have so much shame that I am dealing with, and miss my daughter more than I can ever express!!  I don't know how to make a website, nor can I pay anyone to do one, so I am very amazed by all of the parents who have the ability to do this.

Thank you again and again for the opportunity for the incredible work that you are doing, and I will never ever forget you or the horror of losing 2 children within only a few months of eachother.  If you know of anyone who could possibly assist me with a scholarship for transportation, so that I could get my grandson to counseling, which he needs so badly, as he is suffering with anxiety attacks since his mother passed away, I would be so very very grateful!!  As I said, we have tried everything here, but not a soul is willing to assist us.  I was always the giver, and never could have dreamed that at this time of my life I would have to start over again, I would never have believed it in my wildest imagination.  All we need is one someone with a kind and benevolent heart to give us a small start.  This the most humiliating thing I have ever done, but I cannot allow my grandson to suffer anymore than he already is.  It breaks my heart into a millions pieces to see him so unhappy and so broken, and for him, I don't mind being humiliated one bit.  So, if anyone you know, would be willing to help us, they would be saving our life in more ways than I can ever tell you.  If anyone needs me to prove to them all I said here, I would be more than glad to provide our life history as well.  Many newspaper articles have been written about me, and I have been invited on many occasions to speak on Television and Radio to educate the public and the medical profession on this illness that is destroying so many people's lives.  

My prayers are with each of you and all the people on your list, as well as the entire world.  I beg for your prayers and assistance if at all possible.

Your children are among the most lovely Angels in Heaven, and one of God's greatest promises is that we will see them again, when it is our turn to be taken home to Heaven, to reside with out loved ones eternally.  In the meantime, may God continue to stregthen you each day to keep on keeping on.  How very proud your children are of their mother, and I am so very proud also to have you in my life.  I love you very much, and again deeply and profundly thank you for listening to our plight.  All My Love,  Aggie Sparnecht 

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Angel Victor Vizquerra's (Fullmer) Mom Thank you  / Teresa Fullmer (Friend)
Dear Diane, 
I said this to you many times, you are an amazing person, I know that your mansion is bein prepared in heaven, with all the things that you had desire in this earth, you have been dealt with so much but you continue to share your love with others and your loved ones... may God keep you healthy and give you the strengh you need.... thank you for adding my Victor in your 2005 remembrances.
Much love Teresa Victor's Mom
http://victor-vizquerra.memory-of.com Close

Thank you for adding my son, Bryan Kiser's name to the Celebration of Life  / Darlene Kiser
Dear Diane, I would like to take the time to thank you for being the person you are-even though I don't know you personally-I feel just how special you are. It is so wonderful that you have the celebration of life memorial,and I feel honored that my Bryan's name will be there. I will try to send you a picture-if I can get it figured out-Bryan was my guide  for all of that! ~~Love,prayers,and hugs, Darlene Kiser ~~~ Close

Thank you so much Diane  / Denise Jones Angelmom- Craig
Diane,
Thank you so much for ur kind words. Last week was Craig's 1st anniversary and such a tough time as you will well understand yourself I know. Today has been especially tough since readng the posts on Angelmoms. You think you're trying to help people and its not understood. Thank you for responding in the way you did. I sure feel like a need a friend today.
With love Denise Angel Craig

http:/craig-sean-jones.memory-of.com/Timeline.aspx Close

My Angel  / Shelby Ward (Sister In Christ )

My Angel C.H. died with cancer on Nov.1 2003 eleven days from being 19 years old. He suffered for 14 months with this very rare cancer then 3 days before he passed away he was here at home. He sat up on the side of the bed and I asked baby what's wrong and he said he was waiting for his engery so he could get his wings and fly and go home. I know now what home he was talking about "Heaven" and that's where he went was home. His Dad Charles witness to C.H. in the ER and lead his son to salavation. Oh what a wonderful life we have knowing our son is in Heaven. No more pain for him he has his leg back and running around free.My son C.H. didn't die he lives yes he lives!! He is my Angel watching over his loved ones and of course Diane we go to the same Church she had got me through some tough times. Diane you are priceless I thank God for you, you have done so much for all of us. Michele and JJ are looking down at their Mom and saying what a wonderful Mom we have. With God in my life I can do anything because he keeps me going because one day I know I will be with Him and My Angel C.H. what a time we will all have together. God Bless you all.
In Christ Love
Shelby Ward

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Many Thanks  / Reeny Fitzer (none)

Dear Diane ,i wanted to thank you very much for including my angel  so  Dustin Fitzer and angel Daughter Becky Lynn Fitzer-Groves in the 2005 celebration of life .I so appreciate it .to keep their memories alive .May God bless you and yours ..                  Angel Dustin & Angel Becky's Mom Reeny. 
                                                   http://www.dustinfitzer.net

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Timmy and Tommy's Dad  / Jeff Britt (sister in Christ )

I helped with the celebration of Life, and i saw the courage and strength of so many that were there. Dianne and I also attend the same church.  My children's father passed away 10 years ago , May 1995, and that day changed our lives forever.  He was only 36 years old, and my boys were 5, & 8 at the time.  His life was taken in an industrial accident, and it has brought us closer to Christ.  Through all of this we know how precious life is, and how very important it is too continually stay close with Christ and be in his word.  His word is true, Exodus 15:2 "The Lord is  my strength my song, and my salvation." The only peace you will ever gain from a passing of a loved one in your family is Christ.  He is your first love and will be with you in all eternity.  God Bless all of you.

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Angels in Arms  / Richard Livesay (Friend, Former co-worker at IP )
Diane, I just visited the websites in tribute to Michelle and JJ. I found them to touch my heart, and to think too of my son Chad, stepdaughter Penny, and my family, and how we take life itself for granted each day. God bless you and yours.
Richard Close