Thursday, April 29, 2010

Rockstar for a Day

I was very proud of Mason yesterday during his American Idol performance at Park City Academy, Emily would have been too.

Pete

Monday, April 26, 2010

The Foehl Children Fund

Below is an email sent by a friend of ours who set up a fund for Mason and Liam. The boys and I appreciate all the love and support that our community has shown us. In particular, thank you to the Dellenbach's for taking the boys yesterday afternoon when I could hardly help my self because of the stomach flu. Pete

Hello Friends of Emily:

We wanted to reach out to those that have a connection to our sweet Emily Roosevelt-a wonderful and courageous woman and a loyal friend. First, thank you to the many families that are going to contribute with meals for the next few months. That will be a huge help to their family as they begin to adjust to life without Em. Since her beautiful memorial service this past Saturday, we also thought it important to continue to support to Pete, Mason and Liam in the upcoming weeks and months. With this in mind, a group of Em’s close friends have set up the Foehl Children Fund for Mason and Liam. This is a simple account that Pete can access for new and necessary expenses like extra childcare, housekeeping and maybe even a weekend away with the boys for some much-needed peace. Emily was an extraordinary mother, devoted to her family and we know she would want Pete and the boys taken care of in the best possible way. By contributing to this fund, you will help alleviate some of the expenses associated with Emily's passing, and the extra stress that they will bring to Pete and the boys. You are welcome to contribute to the Foehl Children Fund through any Wells Fargo Bank branch. All you need to do is give the teller the name of the fund and she will make the deposit into this account. Or if you would like to send a check payable to the Foehl Children Fund, please send to the address below.

Wells Fargo Bank

Attn: Kimberly Peine

299 S. Main St. 7th flr

Salt Lake City, UT 84111


As a community, it is important to show our love and support to such a wonderful family. Emily, Pete, Mason and Liam have been like family to many of us who do not have family local. Without Emily’s sparkling blue eyes, lovely smile, contagious laugh and ever-positive attitude, we all will forever have a void. This is a great way to honor the most important thing in her life - her boys and Pete.

Thank you in advance for your contribution.
Please email me if you have any questions.

Kind regards,
Laura and John Climaco

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Celebration of Emily's Life

This is part of the celebration we had for Emily last Saturday.



Remembrances: Melissa Wiczek

It is truly an honor to be up here in front of all of you, Emily’s Stars and Angels. I can not begin to comprehend all the ways Emily has touched each and every one of you here today. I wish I could tell you for the sake of being concise, an isolated moment or an event that embodied all that Emily was to me- but I can’t. For me it was living the day to day life with Emily that was the true gift. She was beautiful, intelligent, courageous, funny, a little bit opinionated, and I was truly fortunate to call her my friend.
For those who don’t know me, I am Melissa, a good friend and next door neighbor. My husband Ben and my three children, Grace, Hanna and Paul have lived next door to Pete, Emily and the boys since the fall of 2006. There is truly something special about our two homes. We have beautiful views of the mountains that surround us, nearby wooded trails for a quick hike or adventure with the kids and the majestic moose that migrate up into our yards on warm summer days. It’s in this place I hold my most cherished memories of Emily. Our children playing, a brief exchange across the fence, shared breakfast lunch or dinner, or the all time favorite roasting marshmallows in what we affectionately call the dancing circle.
Many have asked, how did you and Emily become such good friends? Honestly, I feel it was fate. When we first met, we both had newborn, baby boys which is bonding in itself. Mason and Hanna were both three years old. We were new to Park City, Emily and Pete had just moved in, from down the hill but none the less leaving their nearby neighbors and dear friends. And in true Emily fashion she embraced our family with open arms. I can still hear the enthusiasm in her voice each time she greeted me whether at the door with a hug or over the phone. It was not long before our lives were completely interwoven. There was so much common ground. Caring for our families, our ongoing quest to find an instruction manual to raising our children, a love for cooking ( even though she was much better at it than me), trying to strike that balance between career, home, self , and love for being outdoors. And so it was because of Emily and Pete that Park city began to feel like home.
One of my favorite memories with Emily, was just before Emily recieved her new heart. A bunch of girlfriends and I took Emily to see the debut of the movie sex and the city! Emily and I had not eaten so we ordered up a cheese burger and fries. In addition we brought wine, chocolate and licorice- all of which was smuggled into the movie theater including the burger. The movie was a best kind of chick flick. We laughed, we cried and consumed all the most important of food groups!
Being witness to Emily’s heart transplant, opened my eyes to the limitless strength of the human spirit and yet frailty of the human body. With every turn, I was in awe of Emily’s amazing positive attitude and perseverance. In her charming way, She would always call herself “a freak of nature”. But I think it was her way of helping us make sense and lighten the challenges that she truly faced. To that end, I will never forget the day when I witnessed for a brief moment, a crack in Emily’s armor. We were milling around at the park silly market, and had stopped at a jewelry booth to which we were strangely always drawn. At this particular booth, the women had necklaces and earrings made of stones that had certain healing properties. Emily had to know what every stone meant. It was then she asked, “do you have a stone that helps with fear”. I was silently in shock. It was at that moment my adoration for this women grew exponentially. She was human. But more importantly, she did not want us to worry. Emily allowed her spirit and faith to be her prevailing voice. What Emily put out to the world, I think was a testament of her love for all of us and her determination to heal- To be there for us, for Pete , for the boys, for other transplant candidates, and for her donor’s family.
Emily made the most of every day. Her favorite part of each day was reading to Mason and Liam before bed. She enjoyed the simple things, being with family and friends, cooking a good meal, reading the New York times, etc. The warmth of her smile and brightness of her eyes were so engaging, you couldn’t help but want soak up her radiance.
In the end, I am so blessed for having Emily as my friend, my inspiration. Life lessons learned from Emily will continue to give me strength when life presents its challenges, make me smile when I just feel like being silly, and give me peace when I take a moment and look up at our beautiful mountains. Thank you Emily. I will miss you. You will be in my heart forever.

Remembrances: Peter Foehl

On Sunday when I was walking to the neighbors to give the boys a hug, I had no idea how I was going to tell them. When I got in the house, Mason came right up to me and asked how his Mom was. And I said, “well…” And he didn’t move a muscle. I got down at eye level and I said, “Mommy died.” He paused for a moment not changing his expression, and he succinctly asked, “Does that mean it’s just me, you and Liam now?” And I just gave him a hug. However, seeing the outpouring of love and support since then and today, it’s clear to me that the three of us will always have all of you.

Emily would want you to enjoy each other’s company today, laugh a little, cry a little.

Whenever we got a large group of our friends together – most recently at Emily’s 40th birthday party last summer – someone would say, “you have such great friends.” I know it’s cliché to say, but she would want you to introduce yourself to someone new or reconnect with an old friend today. Please do that in her honor!

We want to thank the entire staff at the University of Utah Hospital. Just before being discharged from her recent hospital stay, Emily sent a text message saying: “Again, not an April’s Fool joke! Biopsy was negative and I’m feeling great. Just walked for 45 minutes. No shortness of breath. Have all the aides and nurses laughing. (Smiley face.) So I am going HOME.”

Last week, Emily wrote a letter to her donor’s family. She wrote: “I keep praying and talking to my heart and body asking them to work together and to accept each other! Every morning when I awake and every evening when I go to sleep, I thank my donor for the gift he gave to me and my family.”

Always inquisitive and trying to grope for any explanation for her recent loss of heart function, she asked her donor family if he(her donor) had any allergies or if there was anything he detested. She said she was having no new sensations since receiving her new heart but was open to the idea of cellular memory.

Her defining characteristic was that she experienced things so deeply. If there is an art to making someone feel special, she was the master.

I am a better person today because of her.

Mason and Liam, I am your Daddy and your Mommy, and I will always take care of you. And our community will help us a lot too.

It’s okay to be sad and it might hurt right here (throat), and that’s okay.

Mommy’s spirit is in our hearts (touch heart).

She loves you today, she loves you tomorrow, and she loves you forever.


And for all of you, her spirit will be with you wherever you are.

However, as most of you know, Emily was most at peace in the mountains.

The next time you’re up in the Wasatch, it might feel a little bit different when you are on a bike, hike, or ski. You might hear the wind, and pause, and smile to yourself, “Oh yeah, that’s Emily.”


Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Liam's Balloons


This is a picture for Liam's pre-school from Monday.

Liam's balloons: This was so beautiful. We all sent yellow balloons up to Emily, Liam's mom who passed away last week. That is Liam in the stripes.

Friday, April 16, 2010

From the Friday addition of the Deseret News

Heart recipient Emily Roosevelt lived like she meant it

By Lee Benson

Published: Thursday, April 15, 2010 10:37 p.m. MDT

These are heady times for the Utah Cardiac Transplant Program.

The unit marked its 25th anniversary in March, and just two weeks ago, it was widely hailed for successfully implanting a Utah-made heart pump in an Idaho man.

But the grim reality of the precarious life-and-death nature of what goes on at one of the world's most respected and longest-standing heart transplant collaborations hit home Sunday when 40-year-old Emily Roosevelt unexpectedly passed away due to congestive heart failure.

Emily's passing hit the transplant community hard. In the 22 months since the young wife and mother of two received a donor heart in June 2008, she wasn't just the heart of the local transplant universe but also its soul.

Even as she personally negotiated the usual speed bumps associated with getting acquainted with her new heart — a follow-up surgery here, an emergency room visit there — Emily became the program's all-star supporter and advocate.

When she wasn't helping raise money or beating the drum for people to sign up as organ donors, she was doing everything she could to buoy up the attitude of all around her. So much so that last July, when University Hospital opened its new $200 million wing, hospital officials didn't ask the architects, the surgeons or the governor to act as master of ceremonies.

They asked Emily.

She leaves behind a how-to for anyone and everyone who should find themselves in her shoes:

Don't whine.

Don't act like a victim.

Do encourage the world to donate their organs.

Do talk to the doctors — you are your own best advocate.

Do appreciate every single second.

Do thank everyone, everywhere, all the time.

She became so popular, so fast, she could have been elected president. (Franklin Delano Roosevelt was her great grandfather.)

When her untimely time came, almost without warning, there was a stunned silence at University Hospital.

A place that routinely deals with death was unroutinely staggered.

"You just felt like you got punched in the gut," said Chris Nelson, assistant vice president of public affairs for University Health Care. "She had such an impact on so many people in such a positive way. She definitely transcended being a patient and helped epitomize what our organization is all about — providing care to people who are dealing with complex situations."

Away from the hospital, it was the same thing.

"She didn't have superficial relationships," said her husband, Peter Foehl. "She wanted to get to know you and care about you."

That extended to the person whose heart gave her an extra 22 months.

"She woke up every morning and said a little prayer to herself and her donor," Peter said. "It meant so much to her that she was able to have a new lease on life and be a mom to our two kids."

She wedged so much life into life.

"I don't know if she thought she was invincible — but we did," said Amy Albo, one of a legion of friends. "She was such an inspiration. So gracious. So kind. Such an example."

In contrast to the Tim McGraw song "Live Like You Were Dying," Emily lived like she was living.

"She had this amazing attitude," said LeAnn Stamos, heart transplant coordinator for University Health Care. "She was always looking forward."

In the end, Emily reflected the sobering statistics of transplants. Even though Utah's crack cardiac transplant program exceeds the national averages, a heart transplant patient still has a 7 percent chance of not surviving a year and a 30 percent chance of not making it past five years.

Such odds did not slow Emily Roosevelt down, nor swerve her off course. They just made her that much more appreciative of her time.

As she said after a ski outing with Peter and their sons, Mason and Liam, this past winter: "I think now I sorta stop and take stock. I don't care so much about the speed. It's the views, it's those little things. You know, the wonders of life."

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

We can feel your love, concern and support

I feel a tremendous amount of love coming from all of you. I know that you are all very concerned about our well being and I appreciate all your thoughts and prayers. We are doing as well as could be expected under the circumstance and are taking are lumps as they come along. We are also laughing and being your typical silly little boys. We have lots of family here now that is a welcome and fun distraction for the three of us.

I have a small request. Please share any memory, short story, moment that you may have of Emily and sent it to me via email, blog, snail mail, however. I want compile as many as possible to share with the boys as they grow older. These memories are also very comforting to me now. Here is a short anecdote about Emily that Liam's preschool shared with their community.

I remember meeting Emily for the first time. She came in to my office with her yellow legal pad, which made me a little nervous. But within the next 2 minutes we were talking about the kind of sheets we liked best. I'm not sure if she even took any notes. She had me laughing about the previous nights bath time with her two boys which ended with a "BabyRuth" .

It's been a joy to watch Liam come out of his shell this year, and how happy that made Emily. I was told there was a birthday party of PEEK children (mostly girls) and Emily got such a kick out of seeing Liam sitting around a table of girls with his crown on.
Susie

Keep them coming.

Love, Pete, Mason, and Liam

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Calling all stars and angels


Emily Roosevelt (1969 – 2010)

Our dear Emily passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on April 11, 2010, at home in Park City. She was born in White Plains, New York on August 13, 1969 and from the beginning demonstrated to all who knew and loved her that she would live life to the fullest with no regrets. Empathy, inquisitiveness, courage, and determination defined her daily life. Her godfather said “she was the breathing definition of grace in adversity.”

Emily graduated from Whitby School, The Millbrook School, the University of Virginia, and the University of Maine School of Law. After college she headed west to Sun Valley, Idaho, where she encountered the three great loves of her life – the mountains, cooking, and her beloved Pete. After graduating from law school, she and Pete returned to the mountains to build a home and family in Utah. She clerked for Judge Monroe McKay of the United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit in Salt Lake City where she served with great distinction. In 2000, she joined the United States Department of the Interior Office of the Solicitor General where she worked tirelessly on behalf of public land issues.

Emily and Pete began their journey together as parents with the arrival of Mason in 2003 and Liam in 2006. Maggie, “the best dog ever,” gave them good practice to be great parents! The family enjoyed many outdoor pursuits and sunny days on the ski slopes together. Emily was devoted to her boys and they will carry on her sense of justice and fairness for all – and also her love of being silly, her infectious laughter, and the big heart she shared with her friends. Her life was deeply enriched by the love and support she received from her Utah family.

In June 2008, Emily received the greatest gift of all – a new heart. We want to thank the team at University of Utah Hospital for giving her the best care possible. We also extend our profound thanks to Emily’s donor and family for giving her a new lease on life. Since receiving her new heart, Emily became an outspoken advocate for organ donation and patient care, helping to raise funds and awareness, supporting others going through the transplant process, and serving as the master of ceremonies for the ribbon cutting of the Patient Care Pavilion at the University of Utah Hospital in July 2009.

Emily will be forever missed and celebrated by all her “stars and angels” including her husband, Peter Foehl; her sons Mason and Liam; her parents Chris and Roddy Roosevelt; her sister Kate and her partner Caroline; her brother Chris, his wife Christina, and their sons Noah and Wylie; her in-laws Allen and Sally Foehl; Pete’s brother Chas, his wife Sara, and their children Walker and Reed; Pete’s brother Dave and his wife Carol; her beloved grandmother Rosalind E. Havemeyer; many uncles, aunts, and cousins; and a huge community of friends and colleagues across the country.

Emily would have wanted you to become an organ donor (organdonor.gov) rather than sending flowers. You may also honor her life by donating to Intermountain Donor Services (c/o Debbie Snider, IDS, 230 S. 500 E., Ste. 290, Salt Lake City, UT 84102) or the charity of your choice. A celebration of Emily’s life will be held on Saturday, April 17 at 4:00 pm at Park City Community Church, 4501 N. Highway 224, Park City. The family will be providing further information about a memorial service to be held in New England this summer.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Oops - No April's Fools Joke

Well - hello there Stars and Angels:
I did not mean to post the last one. I wrote it a while back but never finished it; never posted it. Check Spelling
Unfortunately, I meant to write this instead and post the other thing at the end to let you know how well we had been doing.things got a little funky last week so I ended up back in the hospital for a couple of days - it was quick but a bummer nonetheless. The situation was very similar to what happened last September. I began feeling less than perfect this past Monday, noticed a downturn in my exercise tolerance and was a bit short of breath in doing not much (going up stairs, playing with the boys, etc.).

So, after a couple of nights of poor sleep, I called the docs on Wed. am and went in to the hospital that afternoon. Echo showed decrease in heart function (similar to last Sept. but not as poor), and Chest Xray showed a bit of a pleural effusion (fluid in the lung cavity) that is likely a result of the heart not working as well and not processing the normal body fluids as well. (I did not have fluid in my belly or ankles/feet.) So I had a biopsy late Wed. afternoon to test for rejection. I was admitted to the hospital Wed. night and given a first IV dose of Solu-Medrol (the super-steroid treatment for rejection). The next day, I found out the biopsy was negative (again like last fall), which I is a good thing, but that information leaves me/us in the position of just not knowing what is going on and why my heart has decided to not work so well six months after the last episode.

So, I am now thankfully home again, and I am taking two new meds (ones that I took for a while last fall) - lasix, a diuretic, and linisopril, used to treat heart failure (which I am technically experiencing, though it is mild). I'll go back in a couple of weeks for follow up and was instructed to take it easy for several days.

Unfortunately, the biggest bummer of this latest experience is that we had to cancel our planned trip to So. California for the boys' spring break. We had planned on going to LA and then San Diego (road trip) today. I feel so badly for the boys, but luckily they are not completely aware and we had kept the lead up to the trip low key.

I know I will be okay, be well again, but I need all the help I can get! So thanks for your prayers, energy, thoughts, love, and support!

- Emily and Pete, Mason and Liam, and Maggie too!