Gabrielle Anna Paquette 

Gabrielle, our second child, was supposed to be a Christmas baby but came six weeks early via emergency c-section November 17, 1999.  She was mostly healthy but her lungs were severely under-developed and she spent three weeks in NICU and a special-care nursery.  She finally came home but was not thriving and before she was even to be considered full-term she was hospitalized again with a severe case of RSV.  After five days of hospitalization she came home…we thought for good.

 

Gabrielle was a very sad baby.  Her older sister had belly-laughed at ten weeks but Gabrielle rarely smiled until she was about six months old.  Even then, while we want to think that she had a good life, she remained a very solemn child and her laughter and smiles usually vanished quickly.

 

The summer before she turned two, Gabrielle was in and out of the pediatrician's office with ear infections and other viruses.  We soon received news no parent ever, ever wants to hear: Gabrielle was diagnosed with Stage IV Neuroblastoma.

 

We had excellent doctors and nurses and a very aggressive chemotherapy protocol. Unfortunately for us, Gabrielle never reached remission and eight months after diagnosis Gabrielle died…but not without leaving an important legacy.

 

One day at home, after the doctors told us there was no more to do, I held Gabrielle on the couch and told her that she "May have to go home to Jesus."  Gabrielle replied by pointing her finger at me and asking, "Will you be dere?"  I replied, "No, you must go first but I will follow you when Jesus calls me home."  Later that day, my husband was holding Gabrielle and out of the blue she pointed her finger down the hallway and said, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus."

 

Gabrielle was never a fighter and most of her tears during her painful battle were silent.  But there was one fight where she was the most excellent of fighters and that was the fight of good faith.  She won.

 

Life without Gabrielle has been terribly hard but God has always been with us and blessed us with another child, a son, 10 months after Gabrielle died.  We hold on to the Promise that only comes from Jesus Christ, our Savior, and look to the day we can once again be with Gabrielle.

 

Thank you, LORD Jesus.

 

The Paquette's: John, Monica, Aubrey, Saint Gabrielle, and Noah Gabriel