A Sudden and Tragic Loss.

On June 9, 2009 we suffered a very sudden and tragic loss. Mike's brother Kevin passed away after collapsing at work. I am writing this post exactly two weeks later and I still can't believe it is true, it is like a bad dream and we still think he is going to walk through the door at our next BBQ or family event.

Mike's whole family was together on Sat. June 6th for a BBQ at Kevin and Kerith's house. We were celebrating Pat's (Mike's mom) birthday (actual birthday June 9th). It was a great day, everyone was there, the sun was shining etc... it was just a great family get together. On the Sunday Kevin and Kerith had professional family photo's done with their son Ronin. These were Ronin's 6 month photo's and the first and now only professional family photo's they had.

Tuesday morning (Mik'es moms actual birthday) I got a call from my sister-in-law that Kevin had collapsed at work and had been taken to the hospital, to be honest we thought nothing of it, we just assumed that he fainted or hadn't had enough to eat etc... a couple of hours later I got a phone call that I will NEVER forget as long as I live. I was literally hysterical, I couldn't believe the words that Amy had just uttered to me... "Kevin died". I hung up the phone and had to then make the hardest phone call of my life and call Mike and tell him that his brother had died. I am crying as I type this because as I said I still can't believe that it is true. He just turned 36, had a 6 month old baby and a wife that he adored more than anything since they met 6 years ago.

We found out that Kevin's main artery was more than 90% blocked and that is why he collapsed and died. It is so unbelievable, he was 36, healthy (to our knowledge), no history of heart problems and the Dr. told us even his cholesterol was low. It is such a tragic loss.

As you can well imagine the last two weeks have been very hard on us and the family and I thought it would start to get easier but honestly I feel like it is only getting harder. The more time that passes the more it sinks in that we really won't see him again. Mike just keeps saying to me "I can't believe that we won't see him again, I can't believe I won't ever talk to him again".

It is so hard. Kevin, we love you and we miss you so much, RIP.

These were two of the photo's that were taken on Sunday,

their first professional photos together as father and son and together as a family.