Friday, 10 February 2012

The Starry Night

The Starry Night
Vincent Van Gogh 1889


Susan Niebur passed away on 6 February 2012.

Susan was a NASA scientist,
a tireless advocate for research into Breast Cancer,
and friend, daughter, wife and mother.

I have read Susan's blog since 2007
and watched her courageous fight against
Inflammatory Breast Cancer.
She fought to her last breath
for the chance to spend more time
with her husband and their two sons.
I learned so much from Susan
about cancer, and bravery, and love.

Susan often wrote of precious time spent
with her husband and little boys outside,
looking up at the night sky,
sharing her wonder at the magnificence of space.
I will remember her that way.

7 comments:

  1. I couldn't read a word on her blog. Her smile stopped my breathing for a second.

    WHY!!!!!!

    I'll never stop to wonder why such awful things happen to nice, loving, clever, bright, YOUNG PEOPLE.

    May she now travel those starry skies she'd been studying in her brief life.

    RIP

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  2. Oh, such sad, cruel news; I am so sorry to read this today. I read Susan's blog briefly when you first talked about her years ago, but somehow in the flurry of looking after small children myself, I lost it. Paola described my feelings far more beautifully than I ever could.

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  3. Oh, Alice. My eyes are full of tears and I can't write any more.

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  4. May God bless her and hold her in his arms.

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  5. I wasn't aware of Susan but I followed your link to her blog and saw that amazing smile that Paola mentions and this by way of suggested memorial ... "Or please choose to make a difference somewhere, anywhere, to anyone." What a wonderful epitaph. And though I didn't know her I shall choose to do that, right now, today. May she rest in peace.

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  6. Jo (@jobedo68)February 10, 2012

    I too found Susan's blog through the link you posted - it is so terribly sad, she was a wonderful, warm and immensely clever person, it was always inspiring to read her blog, and her family and children will be in my prayers tonight.
    I too will look at the stars tonight and remember her courage
    Jo x

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  7. This post is a lovely tribute to Susan. I too followed your link to her blog, well, her life really, and could not breathe. To have fought such a courageous battle for five years sums up, to me, her personal honor. I pray for her family to rest now and find their peace.

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