Grandpa would have been 81 this week, on May 18, and so in celebration of him and also as a means to sort through some of his belongings, we had a family get together this afternoon. Memories of Grandpa lingered around us all afternoon, as we selected personal items of his as keepsakes. Vintage snow suits, ties, a gazillion hats, along with his scriptures and other items were some of his cherished belongings that my aunts and uncles went through.
We took little- three hats, because Landon loves hats these days!
On top of that and the awesome food, we talked and visited, and donated blood.
"What? Blood?" you say?
Yes.
During and since the passing of my Grandpa Dean, we have learned that the disease of Interstitial Pulmonary Fibrosis not a disease they know a lot about. They are doing intense research to learn more about this disease at the U of U. A team came up from SLC to take samples from any of Dean's descendants (over the age of 18) to help further their studies. We were informed of this a few days ago via email from the doctor who was over Grandpa, asking if we would be willing, and how many of us would or could. They were taken back at the number of people we had willing to do this, and so they sent a team to us. They were kinda hoping that we would come to them, but when we told them how many of us would do it, well, that changed things.
It was kinda a neat experiences, despite the fact that I HATE needles and blood draws. We gathered in LaRue and Dean's kitchen tightly, -- a little space, with a lot of happiness-- and let them poke at us.
{At this point I MUST add that my uncle Leon is such a terrible tease. I was getting alcohol-ed up, you know when the band your arm, and rub the inside of your elbow with rubbing alcohol? Well, while she was doing this, he took a pen and poked me in the arm! I think my heart nearly stopped! Is was just pointy enough to make me freak out that he was stabbing me! Devil! Lucky for him I managed to laugh at it, all while my nerves were bundling up in my gut. The devil he is. But so loveable.}
{Also worth noting was how funny Lacy was about donating, and how LaRue 'talked' her into it! -Way to go LaRue- Hee Hee! I was laughing so hard! Partially, because I was thinking Lacy's idea was brilliant, and a smart escape! Too bad I didn't think of it. Smart girl! Next time I will have to use the idea of having the nurse just wrap my arm like I donated! Looks can be so deceiving!}
"The U of U was so impressed with the Pack family! They had a blast and knew it was going to be fun even before they came. Dr. Scholand told Molly that she would love the family and was excited that we were going to participate with the research! Including Uncle Bob, Cheryl, Darrel and Laura, we had 21 Pack family members donate! Awesome!!!"-- Cindy Pack
I am so proud of us doing this kind of thing willingly, and know that many others would have donated, if they had been blood relatives or old enough, like my mom and Kyle, and Lisa and Ann, Rachael, etc. Still, twenty-one blood relatives is a big number in my eyes. And I like to think that perhaps someday this will help in treating if not curing the disease for some other family, if not our own. I would never want another family to suffer through an experience like we did with Grandpa.
So here's to the future, to medicinal miracles, to doctors and students learning more about the human body, and what we can do to ease suffering....to families like ours who have suffered through IPF, and to knowing that some day God will remove all illness and sickness and disease from the world, and also to our dearly missed and beloved Grandpa Dean!
We took little- three hats, because Landon loves hats these days!
On top of that and the awesome food, we talked and visited, and donated blood.
"What? Blood?" you say?
Yes.
During and since the passing of my Grandpa Dean, we have learned that the disease of Interstitial Pulmonary Fibrosis not a disease they know a lot about. They are doing intense research to learn more about this disease at the U of U. A team came up from SLC to take samples from any of Dean's descendants (over the age of 18) to help further their studies. We were informed of this a few days ago via email from the doctor who was over Grandpa, asking if we would be willing, and how many of us would or could. They were taken back at the number of people we had willing to do this, and so they sent a team to us. They were kinda hoping that we would come to them, but when we told them how many of us would do it, well, that changed things.
It was kinda a neat experiences, despite the fact that I HATE needles and blood draws. We gathered in LaRue and Dean's kitchen tightly, -- a little space, with a lot of happiness-- and let them poke at us.
{At this point I MUST add that my uncle Leon is such a terrible tease. I was getting alcohol-ed up, you know when the band your arm, and rub the inside of your elbow with rubbing alcohol? Well, while she was doing this, he took a pen and poked me in the arm! I think my heart nearly stopped! Is was just pointy enough to make me freak out that he was stabbing me! Devil! Lucky for him I managed to laugh at it, all while my nerves were bundling up in my gut. The devil he is. But so loveable.}
{Also worth noting was how funny Lacy was about donating, and how LaRue 'talked' her into it! -Way to go LaRue- Hee Hee! I was laughing so hard! Partially, because I was thinking Lacy's idea was brilliant, and a smart escape! Too bad I didn't think of it. Smart girl! Next time I will have to use the idea of having the nurse just wrap my arm like I donated! Looks can be so deceiving!}
"The U of U was so impressed with the Pack family! They had a blast and knew it was going to be fun even before they came. Dr. Scholand told Molly that she would love the family and was excited that we were going to participate with the research! Including Uncle Bob, Cheryl, Darrel and Laura, we had 21 Pack family members donate! Awesome!!!"-- Cindy Pack
I am so proud of us doing this kind of thing willingly, and know that many others would have donated, if they had been blood relatives or old enough, like my mom and Kyle, and Lisa and Ann, Rachael, etc. Still, twenty-one blood relatives is a big number in my eyes. And I like to think that perhaps someday this will help in treating if not curing the disease for some other family, if not our own. I would never want another family to suffer through an experience like we did with Grandpa.
So here's to the future, to medicinal miracles, to doctors and students learning more about the human body, and what we can do to ease suffering....to families like ours who have suffered through IPF, and to knowing that some day God will remove all illness and sickness and disease from the world, and also to our dearly missed and beloved Grandpa Dean!
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kyle