I received word from Sheri of Helen’s passing. Sheri didn’t know who I was, but had heard of me thru Helen’s conversations.  My husband Ryan and are still taking it all in, thinking why?  I have known Helen for some 11 years, 9 months and 20 days and yes, she may be gone, but she is still very close to me.  My name is Susan Verwest and I am Helen’s kidney recipient.  “Lefty” as she called me.  Lefty because I received her left kidney.  What a fantastic gift of life she gave to Ryan and me.  The world has lost a most generous, loving, caring, smart, energetic and humble person.  In July 2003, when I received the call from Swedish that I had a kidney donor, I was in shock, when they told me it was a living donor, I decided it was better to stop driving and pull the car over.  Non-related anonymous living donor, what?  After setting up the donor date operation, all I could think about is the person donating.  What type of person does this?  What made them decide to donate? Why, why, and more why’s?  Even to this day when I tell people of my donated kidney their eyes light up and they are amazed at anyone so generous.   It still brings tears to my eyes. 

September 15, 2003 - Helen gave me that extra gift of life and we will remember her forever. 

After 2-1/2 years and a few correspondences, Helen and Sandy came for a visit in May 2006.  I finally meet my ANGEL!  We talked for hours; she showed me her scrap book from when she decided to donate her kidney. She told me of her psychological testing to make sure she understood what she was doing.  She even told me her story of her last meal and the brownie she savored the night before the surgery.  She definitely knew what she doing and you could tell she was happy to do it.  She was giving someone a very valuable gift, that extra gift of life. 

I now carry that extra gift of life and my Dr., has informed me it is running well.  Keep up the maintenance and it can be there for a very long time.  Now more than ever I cherish this gift.  Helen will be remembered everytime I go to the bathroom :-).

The last time we saw and had contact with Helen was in October 2013.  It was our 10 year anniversary; we had a wonderful lunch with her family and close friends.  The restaurant staff even sang Happy Anniversary to our kidney, Lefty.   

We love you and miss you, but I am so glad to have a part of you with me everyday! 

Happy Birthday Helen!  I hope you are free of pain and in a better place, your smile, laughter, humor, generosity, and warm heart will be greatly missed.  Keep them laughing, as we know everyone needs a good laugh!   Love Lefty (All our love, Susan, Ryan and Zella)

-Her obsession with recurring television shows

-The Scooter tattoo on her boob

-Her willingness to give away parts of herself, literally

-Our Richardson pajama parties

-Just the thought of Helen makes me smile

I love Helen.

I haven't seen her in many years.  I probably spent only a dozen or so times with her in my entire life.  We exchanged email messages fairly recently, and also every once in a while. 

I thought (and still think) about her often.  I've never met a more incredible and impressive person.  I described her to friends as ...a person who, when she is in a room, is the person everyone wants to be near -- no matter who is in the room.  Her energy is amazing.  Her stories incredible. 

I love her.  I miss her.  

Of course, my life will go on.  No doubt, very little outwardly will change.  I live in another city, and as I said above -- I've not seen her in a long time.  But my heart will never be the same.  It will have a crack in it that will never heal.   

I am so, so sad.

To Helen's family and friends:  I am so sorry for your loss.   I can't imagine how unbearable your pain must be. 

Let us all strive to do good things, to be kind, to love each other -- and to think of Helen when we do.

May her Memory always be for a Blessing.    

I pray she has found peace.
  

I've agonized about writing this.  There is nothing I can share that sums up what a wonderful human Helen is.  I've spent the past week so sad, angry, irritable, and just feeling awful that Helen has left this Earth.  Then I realized she would NOT be happy knowing that I was unhappy about anything to do with her.  So, I’m channeling my inner-Helen as I’ve done for years.  Bringing my best smile, doing whatever I can to make others around me happy.

I worked with Helen for a decade at Richardson.  She was a force of nature.  In session with Helen, you had so much fun you didn't realize you were learning.  Helen got away with things none of us could.  I remember several years ago she gave a keynote to a group of about 100 sales managers, directors and leaders.  In the midst of the session, she called the CEO of the company, “P-dawg”.  Dead silence.  Finally, he erupted in laughter and the rest of the group followed.  She knew how to ride the edge to make people feel comfortable and laugh.  I would have been thrown out if I did the same!

Here are a few things that say big things about who Helen is:

After a serious fall, she went ahead and flew to Indiana and delivered (hobbling, with her ankle swelling) a session.  We eventually talked her into going to immediate care that night.

She often took crazy connections to save her clients money.  She ordered Chinese takeout to do the same.

She facilitated months and months in serious back pain, flying all over the country and standing in front of hordes of salespeople for days on end, despite how terrible she felt.  She never let on.

She had the airport codes of her favorite cities tattooed on her thigh.  I just loved this, although I wasn’t too sure about all her choices :)

Yep, the red nail polish.

Her holiday letters were the best ever.  I’ve kept them all and shared them with my family.  We laughed and laughed, and I was sad the years she didn’t send them.

I left Richardson earlier this year.  It was like getting a divorce, but you still love and care about the family.  Helen cried.  And I did too.  She is family.

So moving forward, I’m working on sharing a smile whenever I feel like crying.  I will miss hearing her voice but I know she’s not too far away. xo

Helen and I first became friends when we were both with CareerTrack, and she has been a part of my life ever since. We had a standing 'date' every New Year's Eve. After I celebrated with my husband and friends at the stroke of midnight, I would pull out my phone and call my mother, my children .... and Helen. I am in Ontario so with the time difference she was never home, but I always got her voice wishing everyone a Happy New Year with a special shout out to her special Canadian friends. We never talked that night but always connected shortly after. I am so sad to lose my friend. She was the funniest person I have ever known. She had the biggest heart of anyone I have ever known. She was one of the best people I have ever known and I am so blessed that she was a part of my life. I don't know who I will call this New Year's Eve, but I do know that I will have a quiet moment and toast my friend. 

I cannot fully put into words just how amazing Helen Sutton was. Helen impacted the hearts and souls of everyone she met.  She had the unique ability to make anyone and everyone smile and feel better about themselves.  She had a genuine interest in making others happy.

Helen was our lead trainer with a client that is a large pest control company. They have an award winning bug museum and training facility that teaches people about bugs, rodents and other pests. She approached this client and learned their business and experiences with such vigor and enthusiasm like only Helen would do! They had live, large hissing Madagascar cockroaches, the largest cockroaches in the world.  She had to hold one and let it touch her just to get the full experience. This client and her students all loved her and admired her.  It was amazing, she was amazing in true Helen Sutton fashion!

She was so warm, endearing, focused on others, and giving. She was one of the funniest people I have ever met and made me laugh until I cried. My heart is broken that she is no longer with us and will not be around to impact others the way she has impacted me.  I hope her family finds peace and comfort at this time, knowing just how much she was loved in this world.  

XO

Jeanne Woodward

Helen, thank you for being you. For bringing smiles and laughter and genuine concern and caring to so many people. It has been many years since we worked together and I feel blessed that I knew you and have great memories of you. 

Although the details are sketchy after all these years, I remember laughing so hard I cried when you shared Helen Sutton's Top Ten Tips for Travelling as a Sales Trainer. Every time I get in a rental car, even after 15 years, I think of you!  Every time American Idol comes on, I think of you because you introduced me to the show when it first came on. And, I learned it was important to eat dinner fast and be back in the hotel room before it started. You showed me that cats are not evil and as you know from my facebook posts, I now have 7! 

You are one of the few people outside of our family who made my husband's annual Family Christmas Letter when you donated your kidney because you could. Everyone who received the letter wanted to know who you were! 

Most importantly, you showed me how to connect with people I just met and how to have a genuine interest in them and their lives.  I had never really met anyone before who did this as easily and honestly as you did. 

You changed lives for the better and my heart broke when I saw the news of your passing because you left too soon. I will never forget your voice, your laugh, your genuineness, your caring and you. May you rest in peace and may your family and friends find peace in the knowledge of the impact you had on so so many people. XO Linda

 

Helen being the ultimate giver, teacher and genius that she was, suggested that we share the book, The Tale of Despereaux, with a group of young teen girls dealing with emotional and behavioral struggles. Brilliant.  The book about the unlikely hero remains on my bookshelf today.  I can’t help but think of Helen.