Today will be a Debbie Downer post but you'll just have to put up with it because what I've got to say is important. Last night I got news that a friend of mine from childhood passed away. While we knew he was very sick I don't think any of his friends really saw this coming. Who can think of a friend getting sick and dying before the age of 30?
Joe and I grew up together. We went to different elementary schools but shared a mutual best friend - which meant plenty of play-dates together. This meant he had to sit through the Fresh Prince/Blossom hour and I had to sit through Monday night football. By the time we were 11, we were in the same middle school. I have distinct memories of us playing songs from our boomboxes over the phone to each other. Every Tuesday and Thursday night a group of us carpooled to religious school and stopped at McDonalds along the way. Somehow I was the only one of us who got chubby along the way too. When we got to high school we still hung out in the same group but when college came I seemed to go my own way and wasn't the best about keeping in touch. Thanks to the powers of social networking tools I've recently gotten back in the loop.
A month ago I received an event invite on Facebook asking me to come to a fundraiser for Joe. I had heard he was sick a while ago but didn't know the extent of what he had been diagnosed with. At the age of 26, Joe was diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IFP), which caused his lung tissue to prematurely scar and age. He was on oxygen 24/7 and the fundraiser was to raise money for the cost of his post-operative care once he received a double lung transplant. When I got to the venue, he greeted us at the door and seemed in great spirits even if it was hard for him to breathe. When he introduced me to his girlfriend he commented that I was his first kiss. For some reason, this really stuck with me; maybe because I didn't know I was or maybe because I have no clue who my first kiss was (I was quite the kissing fool back in elementary school).
I do totally remember when it happened though; the final song was playing at our first Jr. High dance. Both of us were probably wearing Z. Cavaricci's with the ankles pinned and I'm sure Timmy T was playing. I asked Joe if he wanted to dance - he said yes and afterwards our mutual best friend's mom drove us home. In the back seat I could tell he was getting weirdly nervous, so when he was about to get out I gave him a kiss. I think that's probably when all of the boombox music sharing started.
Now, about 18 years later, he's gone. He went out fighting and raising awareness and money for IPF research. Before going to the fundraiser, I didn't even know this disease existed, which is why I'm writing it here - to bring it to your attention. IPF can happen to anyone and currently there are no treatments. Do what you can to spread the word about it.
Comments (1)
thank you for sharing your story with us... I'm very sorry for your loss.
Posted by G | July 15, 2008 9:07 PM
Posted on July 15, 2008 21:07