I received this touching email a while back and began corresponding with Elizabeth Wilson about her beautiful daughter, Laura:
Hello Pat,
I have been subscribing to your blog and to your MM News for several years as our daughter Laura struggled with multiple myeloma. Sadly, science did not progress quickly enough to save her life and we lost her on June 9th. On the plus side, Laura’s willingness to have multiple sites biopsied for a genome study at Mayo Scottsdale uncovered two new mutations for mm which are resistant to standard therapies. Perhaps someone else will be helped.
Attached is Laura’s obituary and a photo.
I am finding it emotionally difficult to read the blog entries and would like to be unsubscribed, but please keep me on your Myeloma New for right now.
With warm regards and great sadness,
Liz Wilson
I can so understand how Liz feels! I often become concerned as many of us in the myeloma community tend to post–and are drawn to–inspirational stories of long term survivors and/or those who are doing well.
That’s why I like to run posts from time to time about those we have lost, too.
Here are excerpts from young Laura’s obituary from last month:
Laura Lenore Wilson
February 4, 1975-June 9, 2012
During the eight and a half years she lived with multiple myeloma, Laura became an “expert” on her illness, collaborated closely with her oncologist, and was a strong advocate in her care. Always hopeful and proactive, she raised over $175,000 in an effort to find a cure.
Laura could find humor in the darkest details of her illness on her blog www.cancerclique.com. Friends “gathered” here and created a strong community of supporters.
Everyone who knew Laura drew energy from her giving nature, strength, wit, tenacity and courage. As one friend says, “Laura made some of the best times in my life even better, the harder times easier, and the sad times funnier–a beautiful and brilliant friend.”
Born in San Jose, Laura spent her childhood growing up in San Jose, Germany and Japan. She attended Presentation High School and earned a B.S. in International Relations from Stanford University and a M.A. in Counseling Psychology from the University of San Francisco. Her home was in Sunnyvale.
Laura followed her passions, which included theater, television, and connecting with people. She had careers in public accounting, television production, educational theater outreach, corporate philanthropy, and design. Most recently, she became a marriage and family therapist.
She is survived by her parents Walter and Elizabeth Wilson of Los Altos Hills and her sister and brother-in-law Melissa Wilson and Erik Stuart of San Mateo, and her boyfriend Guillermo Alvarez of San Jose. Laura was a 6th generation Californian and a member of the pioneering Bubb family…
…Contributions to Laura’s memory may be made to The Community Health Awareness Council (CHAC), P,O, Box 335, Mountain View, CA 94041 (www.chacmv.org) or to Stanford University Office of Development, in Memory of Laura Wilson, Attention: Julia Hartung, 326 Galvez Street, Stanford CA 94305 (This donation will benefit Ram’s Head Theatrical Society.)
Laura’s death is a sad reminder that multiple myeloma is not only an “old people’s” cancer. I personally know a patient who was diagnosed at age 20. Someone else was telling me about a young teen they knew who was first diagnosed at age 16.
Laura was too young to die–especially this way. But I can tell she made the most of every minute while she was alive. I wish I could have met her.
And if you get a chance, scroll-back and check-out her blog. I visited the site before her condition took a turn for the worse and was very impressed! Here is a link to the post announcing her death. It shares some touching and intimate details about Laura’s last days. Did you write this, Liz?
Laura Died Today
This young lady was ahead of her time. She will be missed.
Thanks for getting this information to me, Liz, so more members of the multiple myeloma community can celebrate Laura’s life and mourn her loss at your side.
I know it’s hard, but try to feel good and keep smiling! Pat
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