My name is Susan. I am a 28 year old social worker in a nursing home. I grew up in Dedham with a brother, sister and my parents. About three and half years ago my mother became very sick and was hospitalized at MGH for about 2-3 months. She was diagnosed with a very rare lung disease and was put on the waiting list for a double lung transplant. She was sent home on 12 liters of oxygen (most people are on 2 liters) 24 hours a day. My mother spent the better part of the past three years nearly home bound. She does have a large extended family and filled her days with weekly visits from family and friends.

Mike and I got together in the winter of 2006. We were introduced to each other in August by my co-worker, a friend of Mike’s. She thought we were perfect for each other. Turns out we are! We moved in together in May of 2008 and got engaged in July of 2008. We are getting married February 28^th, 2009. Our wedding ceremony is at St. Mary’s church in Dedham. We are having our reception at Lombardo’s. We chose February due to the fact that it is much more reasonable money-wise and we would be paying for the wedding on our own. We had a friend do our wedding invitations and Mike and I are putting together the centerpieces. A cousin of mine who does photography as a hobby is planning on taking the pictures.

My mother had the chance to spend a time with Mike and she loved him very much. Probably for many of the same reasons that I do. He is sensitive and caring. He would do anything for me and my family. Mike is a hard worker. He put himself through college much like I have put myself through graduate school and college. My mother was so happy to know that I was going to spend my life with someone who would always take care of me.

When we got engaged it was a great time for my mother who could begin busying herself at home with bridal shower and wedding plans. She had the surprise bridal shower planned for December 7. About a week before that my mother was admitted to the hospital. She was in good spirits and looked good the first couple of days. On Wednesday when Mike and I went to visit my mother in the hospital she shared with us her bad news. The doctor had seen her earlier and told her that both sides of her heart were failing and that she was no longer eligible for the lung transplant. She was also told that she would never be able to return home due to her medical needs. He told her she would have to live in a nursing home.

My mother was an incredibly strong and independent woman. She had fought incredibly hard for the past three years to say alive and she even baffled her doctors with how well she did. The thought of living in a nursing home was too much for her to bear. My mother died in the hospital the very next day (December 4) after waking up, talking to my dad and eating breakfast.

It has been a difficult month and half. Thankfully I have a wonderful family. I have great aunts who have provided me with a lot of support and are very excited for the wedding. They also love Mike very much and everyone loves to say how happy my mother was that I was going to be marrying him.

I am also thrilled to be marrying him. He has been there for me during this difficult time and I know he always will. We are so excited to start our lives with each other—whether it be with a photo album filled with wedding pictures from my cousin or pictures from a professional!