Folks,
This is one of the most difficult e-mails I've had to write to the list.
Before I say anything, no, you're not dreaming that you're reading this
message. It's actually real, and true, and 100% verified. For those of you who
go up on the Conversation Station, you will probably know exactly who I am
talking about.
Folks, it is with a heavy heart, and with very very deep sadness that I report
the death of another one of our dearly beloved friends in the blind community
who was on this list for a short time.
Mrs. Pat Ferguson. Yes, you heard correctly. The lady who is the wife of Vernon
Ferguson, the maker of the Scanacan barcode reader.
A lot of you probably do not know about this, as it happened so quick.
Basically, here's what I know.
Pat had gone in for a colonoscopy, and did just fine.
She then, about a week or two later started complaining of really bad abdominal
pain. She thought she could work it off, so stayed at home doing normal things.
Well, eventually it got worse, to the point of being agonizingly escrutiating.
Finally, Vernon, her husband, took her in to the hospital in South Dakota.
I want to say Seux Falls. They're initially from Dismette, (Sorry if I have the
spelling wrong on that.)
Anyway, she kept getting worse and worse, and the doctors couldn't at first
figure out what was wrong. She was bleeding terribly, etc.
Finally, they found out she had lesions on her liver, and on top of that, her
kidnies were both failing.
Honestly, we're not totally sure why.
They tried to treat things by putting her in a pyperberic chamber to help with
giving her oxygen to draw out the supposed infection.
At the time they didn't realize the underlying issue. Once this didn't work,
about 3 days ago, they did more tests and determined she actually had cancer,
which honestly a lot of us figured all along. Turns out, she had liver cancer,
which then had also spread to her pelvis.
In the last day or so, she totally clambed up when this news was given, and
didn't talk since. We don't totally know if she was unconcious, or just was
traumatized from the news. Vernon isn't really talking much right now, bless
his heart, so it's kind of hard to say. The poor guy's gotta! be devistated
beyond human belief!
Anyway, my friend Ronald Glaser who also lives in South Dakota, in Aberdeen,
called this morning to check up on Pat. He actually got Vernon, not
surprisingly. Vernon almost couldn't talk he was so shaken up, but apparently
he along with another one of Pat's close friends, Cecily Ballenger, wanted to
figure out how Pat was doing, and what Hospice they'd put her in. That's when
Vernon says there was no need. Apparently she passed at about 11PM last night
central time.
She will be forever more missed! She was such a huge huge contributer to the
blind community, and honestly I cannot think of a single person that didn't
love her to death, and vice versa.
She thought all of you were so, in her words, loving!
I know one thing! I don't doubt where she is right now, and I know she is not
sufferring any longer. Folks, she loved Christ with all of her heart! In
everything she said, and did, it was very very evident! I have no doubt that
she's now up in heaven rejoycing with the angels.
May her memory live on forever and ever and ever and ever more. Amen!
Chris.
