Xavier’s baby sister, Megan, 41, passed away last night. At 32, she discovered she had breast cancer. They gave her four years then. HA! They didn’t know Megan. When you look up determined or fierce in the dictionary, there should be a picture of Megan. She fought with every ounce of her being, with every last breath. She’s had every operation, removal, addition, tubes, pills, shots, everything. She fought through it all with intense anger and intense good cheer.

And despite the dire predictions. We’ve been called so many times in the last couple of years with the news that "this is probably It"…. A last wish foundation gave Megan’s family flights to Orlando and a hotel room for Christmas ’05. About which Xavier wrote so beautifully. That was our last visit with her. She was supposed to die right after that…

Not Megan. Braveheart has nothing on Megan. Despite everything, she maintained hope. Hope built on a fierce determination. Maybe not that she would beat this completely, but a refusal to let any time be It. Absolute total denial that this would be It. And it never was. Till last night around midnight.

She’s been in the hospital for two weeks now, going in and out of consciousness, talking to family and friends on the other side. She spoke to her grandma and grandpa, they told her they were waiting for her. She told them she wasn’t ready. A couple of days ago in a lucid moment, she told her husband she couldn’t go till Marlene went. Nobody knows who Marlene is. We just know she went, ’cause if Megan said she wasn’t going till Marlene went, Marlene definitely went.

Megan’s husband, Ed, was beside her every minute. Even though of the 19 couples they met in support groups at the beginning, all – that’s ALL – the other husbands left the wives. And we let guys run the world? No wonder we are in such trouble.

Ed and their three children, Mariah, 15, Eli, 12 and Noah, 10, are living in Utah, surrounded by Ed’s family. I am sad we don’t have Megan with us on this earth anymore. I am sad for her husband and children. I am desperately sad for her mom, Joanie and for her brothers and sisters. I can’t imagine losing a child, even a big, old child. Or a sibling. I am so sorry. And I am so glad the fight is over for her, as I know they are, too. Surely Megan knows she didn’t lose. Along the way, she taught us the meaning of 100%. The meaning of fierce.

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