"Leigh-Leigh"

Last Update: 12-30-09 

~If anyone has any pictures or stories about Whitney that you would like to be included in this memorial, please contact her mother, DeAnna at: dlcappel@gmail.com. 
~She is trying to collect as many pictures of Whitney's life as possible so that a lifetime DVD can be completed.
 Thank you.

Our Angel

Whitney's life was tragically cut short due to a brief illness with A.R.D.S. (For more info, go to: www.ards.org). Whitney was only 16 years old and 7 months pregnant. She had big hopes and dreams for the future with her newborn son that she planned to name Hayden...
 
Hayden wasn't due until April 5, 2007 and she could hardly wait for his arrival since she was already having difficulty breathing just trying to walk from the house to the car! She assumed her shortness of breath was normal due to the pregnancy and more so because she was a little on the short side...

On February 2, 2007, Whitney woke up with a terrible headache and running a high fever. I took her to the ER where they concluded the baby was not the source of the problem and he was just fine. Whitney, however, was not. Her blood pressure was 80/20, but they couldn't figure out why or what was going on. 
   By 11:00pm, the doctor decided to go ahead and admit her with a diagnosis of the flu... Four days later, after numerous tests, treatments, oxygen, blood, IV's, and more, Whitney was moved to I.C.U. But... She wasn't getting better. She just continually went down hill...

On February 8, 2007, at 3:16 pm., Hayden, was born eight weeks pre-mature by emergency c-section in hope of relieving some of the pressure from Whitney's lungs and body and also because her condition was so critical. Her oxygen and other vitals were remaining so low, they decided the c-section was the best decision for both Whitney and her baby.

Hayden was stablized and transfered by ambulance to a bigger hospital with a NICU.   He weighed 4lb. 14oz. and was 18" long. Amazingly, he only required a small amount of oxygen after birth.  He remained in N.I.C.U. for only 2 weeks, mainly just waiting for his mother to get well and bring him home... 

After the c-section, it was clear that Whitney was very ill and would also have to be transferred to a larger hospital.   She was transfered the next day to the same hospital as Hayden. 

Immediatly upon arrival, Whitney was put into a medical-induced coma and consumed with paralytic drugs. She was placed on a ventilater and respirator in hopes of giving her lungs time and strength to heal. Her doctors shocked me by telling me to call any family that lived out of town.  Her chance of survival was barely 10%.

She remained in the coma for several weeks. When her lungs refused to heal and began collapsing, her chances of surviving lowered to barely 2%.

In the end, the doctors discontinued the paralytics and slowly backed off the coma-inducing drugs. Whitney's brain waves always came back normal and her doctor and nurses told us that she could always hear and was aware of her surroundings even though she couldn't and/or wouldn't respond to us.  (If you to to www.ards.org, the symptoms are explained better).

 We always talked to her, telling her how much we loved her and had her favorite music/songs playing continually in her room... (These same songs were later sung by family and friends at her funeral...Thanks Kim and Hollie! I personally think the angels were impressed & even a little jealous of you guys!!)... 

The last week of her life, she began to communicate with us as best she could.  She would open her eyes and even nod her head at times, responding to our visits. She had never even gotten to hold her newborn baby; had only seen a glimpse of him right after delivery....

On Friday, March 16, 2007, close friends and family gathered around Whitney's bed and began to sing, "Peace, Peace, Wonderful Peace...Coming down from the Father Above...".  I will never forget the Heavenly Presence in that room.

   At around 6am, although sooo heavily medicated and sedated, (to make sure she felt no pain), Whitney opened her eyes and looked at me and her precious MoMo Peggy, as her eyes so beautifully told us "Good-bye" for the last time. We stroked her hair and face as she took her last breath and told her we loved her...

Words cannot describe the grief that a mother must bear when she loses a child. My life will never be the same. I cannot believe that this is real. I cannot believe that she is never coming home... I am overwhelmed with a constant sadness.

I miss her so much. I miss the sound of her voice...her smell...her smile...her everything...
I feel like heart surgery has been performed on me and they forgot to give me any anesthesia...
    I wonder if I will ever smile again... at least without tears blurring my vision and interrupting what could or should be a happy moment...
   Only God knows...But for now, she is only in my dreams... ... 

 

January 31, 2007

These pictures were taken just two days before Whitney got sick and went into the hospital. We had been to the doctor's office for her 2 week appointment on the day these were taken. She seemed to be the picture of health...

Whitney's Angel - 3-22-07

This is Hayden Lee at six weeks old.
This picture was taken one week after we lost his mother.
He looks just like Whitney when she was a baby and continues to look more and more like her everyday.  
He has her eyes, those famous, looong eyelashes, her nose, her smile, her cowlicks, her stubby lookin toes...lol

He is such a great help to us in our time of deep sorrow and grief. 
He is definately Heaven sent!

He's such a Happy boy...

We've recently realized some really neat "happenings" concerning Whitney and her baby boy, Hayden. Whitney was superstitous about certain things, especially even numbers.

When it came to dates or passwords and such, she made sure she picked even numbers only!  Well... Whitney's birthday is April 14. Or... 4/14. When Hayden was born he weighed 4lbs. 14oz. THEN, we realized something else. Hayden was born at 3:16pm. Whitney passed away on March 16, 2007 - Or, 3/16.

AND... In the Bible, in the book of John, chapter 3, verse 16, (3:16), just like Jesus gave His life for His only Son, Whitney also gave HER life for HER only son...

     At this writing, Hayden has just turned two, that is one reason why the letters are in the color purple; February's birthstone is Amnethyst.
     Anyway,  since we were just speaking of Whitney being so supersticious or I believe the correct term is O.C.D., I thought it would be fitting to explain how 'the apple did not fall far from the tree'.
   You see, Hayden loves trucks and cars and trains, but more than play with them, he loves to line them up in perfectly lined rows.  He will even lie down on his tummy to get a perfect view of the alignment.  His tricycle wheels must be facing 'just' so before leaving it to come inside.  Books on his bookshelf must be straight and standing tall.
   BTW, none of this was taught by watching others, or by being told to do it.  He didn't steal it, it came straight from the amniotic fluid!  There's plenty else I could tell, but that's enough for now...