Carol J.
Cherish your memory.
I lost my only brother to stage four liver cancer, on the 18th of this January. I am 2 years his senior, and I have a sister, 5 yrs my senior, so little Richard (pun intended) was the baby. I learned this year, death doesn't come in sequence. The last three months of his life were surreal. What cancer did to his body, once it metastasized, was unreal. I was determined to be there for him, though. I was determined he wouldn't go through dealing with cancer, or deal with his impending death, alone. I was, however in for a rude awakening. You see, death is solitary. No matter how much I cried, my brother was dying. No matter the visits, the comforting words spoken to him or how many family members gatered around him, my baby brother, my only brother was dying until on January 18th, he died. Devastated doesn't begin to describe what I felt. I've been told your life flashes before your eyes when you experience a life threatening event, but in this situation my brother's life from infancy, to toddler, to our teen years, up through adulthood, flashed before my eyes as he slipped away. I screamed his name and reached for him with no responce. He was gone. His lifeless stare, his mouth slightly open is something I will never forget, and never stop seeing. As our older sister lived in South Carolina, and couldn't return after her visit the week prior, this experience was mine and mine alone. You see cancer has set up residence in my family tree, making it's presence known, until all but a few cousins have had that final dance. In loosing Richard, I only went through the motions of living. I graciously accepted condolences, beautiful cards and flowers, hugs and phone calls, but hadn't noticed the toll his death had taken on me. The look I myself had acquired. I had stopped eating and stopped sleeping. I had lost weight, my skin had begun to hang off my bones and I didn't care. Then came the task of clearing out the house. This was almost as hard as loosing him, as it made his death real and so final. To be in the house without him there, was unbearable. I lost track of how many trips it took to finally clear it out. This is when I came across a photo someone had taken of him when he was a younger, very healthy, very handsome, and a very much alive young man. It was badly faded though. I just had to get it restored. I took it here and there to places that offered the service only to be told the photo was too badly faded to even attempt restoring it. It was like loosing him all over again. Funny how the mind of the broken hearted works. I was reading an article in the newspaper advertisement insert one day, when I came across MemoryCherish. I decided to read the whole article along with the reviews. It seemed easy enough and after being turned down by others, I decided to giveit a try. I took a picture of the faded original and sent it in. I was even given a choice of artists to complete the task. It took a couple of weeks or so, which seemed more like a couple of months. So goes the old adage, a watch pot never boils, to those old enough to know what that means. Finally, through email, the finished product was sent. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I just sat there, still for a minute and stared at a picture perfectly restored. It looked as though I had just taken it. That was a week ago and I'm still in awe. MemoryCherish is worth evey minute I waited and every penny spent to get his photo restored. The service, and the artistic talent, gave my baby brother back to me in a way I can keep him near, forever. I truly, from the bottom of my heart (no longer broken) wish to say, "Thank You".
Response from MemoryCherishMay 15, 2024
Thank you for sharing your deeply personal and heartfelt journey with us, Carol. We are deeply moved by your story and honored to have played a small part in preserving the memory of your beloved brother, Richard. Your words vividly convey the raw emotions and profound impact of loss, and we recognize the immense courage it takes to navigate such a challenging journey. Losing a loved one to cancer is a devastating experience, and your description of the toll it took on you resonates deeply. We are humbled by your kind words about our service and the restoration of Richard's photo. It brings us great joy to know that our efforts have provided you with a source of comfort and solace during this difficult time. Preserving memories is a sacred task, and we are grateful for the opportunity to help keep Richard's memory alive for you. Please know that our thoughts are with you as you continue to navigate through your grief and healing process. If there is anything more we can do to support you, please don't hesitate to reach out!