From Carol

I only had the pleasure of knowing precious Livi for five months – while she was in the hospital. However, in those five short months, I absolutely fell in love with this charming, funny, sweet, adorable little girl (and her family!) How could I not? I took care of Livi nearly every day I worked, and she very quickly became my favorite patient on the floor (heck, my favorite patient of all time). I have many, many memories of Livi and if I put them all in this tribute, it would be five pages long, so I’ll talk about some of my favorites.

I loved watching that little girl being pushed around the ENTIRE hospitalin her pink car by her wonderful family while they talked to her, sang to her, and in general made her happy. She loved that little pink car covered in duct tape, and if the person pushing her (usually Pa and Gigi, while Emily got a little break) dared to stop pushing to, I don’t know, talk to someone (more often than not, me) in the hallway, she would say “GO!” and point her chubby little adorable finger forward. And she would keep saying “GO! GO! GO!” until they started pushing again.

One of my favorite parts of the night was when we would do her meds and put together her TPN (IV nutrition) tubing. Livi was the best little helper. She would sit on the bed or in Emily’s lap, and as I got garbage from the med syringes or the tubing, I would hand it to her and she would say “gahbage” (like a New Yorker – no “r”) and put it in the garbage bin. I find myself saying it now, not even thinking about it, and when people say “why do you say garbage like a New Yorker?” and I say “not like a New Yorker – like Livi!”

Just an example of how loved that little girl was (and is!!)…about a month or so into their stay here, Emily mentioned once or twice in her blog that Livi loved stickers. Before you knew it, that girl had more stickers than you would believe, and boy did she use them. Every day she would use stickers, usually making a sticker picture for someone she loved (I am the VERY proud owner of three!). She always had very specific designs in mind for each person, and if you would suggest a sticker outside the design, she would say “no,” put her hand up, and shake her head. One night, she was making something using Elmo stickers, and she RAN OUT of Elmo stickers. When Emily and I told her that were no more Elmo stickers, she just said “Pa…Elmo…” Like, duh, guys…call Pa, he’ll get more Elmo stickers. At one in the morning. The thing is, if we had called him to get more stickers, he would have. That man would move heaven and earth to make that little girl happy. A love like Pa had for Livi I have never seen on this earth. Every day, Pa, Gigi, Emily and James, along with the entire family, were a living example to me of perfect love, and that has remained with me even now.

I can’t even tell you how many hours I spent in her room playing with her, talking to her and loving her. She was the first person I went to see every day when I came to work. I loved walking into the room and hearing “it’s Cayrol!!!!!” (that’s how she said it…CAYrol). I have so many wonderful, cute, funny memories of Alivia that I feel that the few I mentioned here don’t do her justice.

In the very short time I knew Alivia, she (and her amazing, wonderful, loving family) affected me more deeply than any family I have ever cared for. I can not possibly put into words how much I love that little girl and her family. God could not have chosen a better set of parents than Emily and James for Livi to belong to for her short time with us. Livi was a very special little girl, sent to Earth for a reason. She touched every single person she came in contact with in some way or another, and she made the most of her little time. She was so full of life and so full of love, no matter how sick she was. She was a very brave little girl, and suffered more than any human should have to, but remained a fighter through it all. I am honored that I was able to be a part of her life and, like Manda said, feel privileged that I was there when her time on Earth came to a close. She could not have gone home to Jesus in a more peaceful way or more surrounded by love.

I think about Livi on a daily (usually many times daily) basis – she is never far from my thoughts. I miss her tremendously, but am comforted in knowing that she passed on knowing that she was so so loved. Livi will never know loneliness and she will NEVER know hate. That baby girl (BIG GIRL! – she was two (tyoo), after all) has never known and will never know anything less than absolute love. What a lucky, blessed girl.