My mom was an angel here on earth and now she is an angel in Heaven. My mom was thoughtful, kind, classy, generous, resourceful, loving, devoteful, and had a beautiful, pure soul. She was a giver. Even in the toughest of times, she was able to find the humor. She lit up a room when she walked in because her smile was so contagious. My mom also had a spunky and feisty side to her. She always stood up for what she believed in and was not afraid to use her voice. As some of her friends and family stated so perfectly, “Marcia was like a nun without the habit”. 

 

My mom was truly quite a woman. She had a very impressive career path. In 1971, my mom completed the Medical Office Assistant curriculum and received an Associate in Science at Manchester Community College in Connecticut. Four years later, my mom received her Bachelor of Science degree at College of St. Mary in Nebraska. In 1982, my mom accomplished yet another achievement, and received her MBA at Barry University in Miami. 

 

In 1994, she received a Certificate of Completion in Health Care Risk Management from the American Hospital Association. Later that year, she did training to become a Guardian Ad Litem and received her certificate from the Supreme Court of Florida. She worked in the medical field, working at many hospitals, as a Medical Records Specialist. She worked her way up to the point where she was managing a whole floor of employees. My mom had a very impressive resume, multiple notable achievements, devoted her time to God, charity, and her friends, but something was still missing in her life. 

 

When she was in her mid 40’s and single, she did one of the most courageous and selfless acts that somebody could do: she adopted me when I was 3 ½ years old. The judge who presided over the case said to me, “You may not be from your mom’s tummy, but you are from her heart.” My mom saved my life. She saved me from aging out in the foster care system. To do this on her own required a lot of bravery, courage, strength, and a very stable career and environment. She built a life for herself all on her own, so she was now able to build a life for me.

 

As I was growing up, we took Tae Kwan Doe together for several years, I got to travel with her all the time for her business trips, I went with her to her Italian Club dinners (she was so proud of her Italian heritage), she enjoyed roller coasters, even when I didn’t and would convince me to go on them. In the pictures I’m either crying or you can’t see me because I’m ducking for dear life, all the while my mom had a huge smile on her face. Later in life she, her career was that of a Medical Malpractice Claims Adjuster. She attended court cases and interviewed doctors that were being sued. The cases she would be a part of always fascinated her, and she seemed to really enjoy this line of work. She attended Bible Study once a week, attended her TOPS weight loss group once a week, volunteered at St. Joseph’s Hospital, and also would pray at abortion clinics. 

 

Most of all, my mom was a vital asset to me when I started having health issues at the age of 14. When my mom was in her late 50’s, she had her first open heart surgery. Less than three years later, she had to have another open heart surgery. Then in 2014, I went into kidney failure and was on dialysis for a few years before receiving a double kidney transplant. Up until this day, the hospitalizations and treatments have continued multiple times throughout each year. Between my mom’s health issues and my health issues, we were quite the pair. Any time either of us had to go to the hospital, we would just say “You can just drop me off. I’ll see you soon” Despite her own challenges, my mom was still there for me and was the most important piece of my health journey.

 

We were both used to going to the hospital for a little bit, getting all fixed up, then coming back home. That’s what I thought this time around as well. I had no reason to believe otherwise. 

 

A  good friend of mine told me that I have an angel watching over me, and she will guide and protect me because she can take better care of me now from where she is, and that is what I am holding onto. 

 

I really am so truly lucky, blessed and fortunate to have had her in my life. Even though I may not have been from my mom’s tummy, she was and still is my mom, and I am her daughter. I’m her legacy, and I feel very honored to live in her name. Mom, we all miss you and love you so much. We know that you are with us today and you are all around us. You will forever be in our hearts.