November 5, 2005 -
January 15, 2006
Rahkina died peacefully in the arms of loving parents at Vancouver Womens and Children’s Hospital Special Care Nursery. Rahkina was born a Trisomy21 baby and lost her battle against pulmonary hypertension. She will be much missed by all, her loss particularly felt by her sister, who talked so much of bringing her home.
She will be sadly missed by dad Rod Szasz, Mom Zhao Zhang, sister Akela, grandparents Jim and Lorraine Szasz, Xing Gui and Ouyang Jin, aunts and uncles Joe and Laurel Halloran, Bill and Lynda Best, Leanne Szasz, Diana Zhang and cousins Afton and Landon, Garret and Conner and Layne and Alyxander.
A special thanks to those who lovingly looked after her in the Special Care Nursery - nurses, respiratory and X-ray technicians, doctors, receptionists and other professionals from every country in the world - what a wonderful resource we Canadians are lucky to have. A special thanks to her primary care nurse, Laura and “Super Nurse”, Vikki.
If life can be evaluated in terms of its impact and meaning on others then Rahkina’s life accomplished much in its short compass. Not a life filled with broad sunlit uplands of accomplished life experiences, but one where her life forced us to realize that there is an essential unity and frailty in the human condition - one too often taken for granted. Rahkina brought us an understanding and gave us the courage to be strong for her and for ourselves.
She cried little, lacked nothing, loved her mobile, magnetic bear and warm baths, cuddles with family, and communicated much through her very large expressive eyes. She died knowing and feeling the love we gave her.
It is time for me to go, mother; I am going.
When in the paling darkness of the lonely dawn
you stretch your arms for your baby in the bed,
I shall say, “Baby is not there!”
- mother; I am going.
Rabindranath Tagore
Funeral Rites were held Friday, January 20, 2006. Church Service 2pm - 3pm: St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Ladysmith, 4th Ave. Funeral Service 3pm: Ladysmith Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations to one of the charities below will be greatly appreciated: BC Children’s Hospital Foundation (http://www.bcchildrens.ca/info/Donate/default.htm). The Down Syndrome Research Foundation (http://www.dsrf.org/index
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