I just realized that no one posted about the generous gift you left the world. Shai Lane was an organ donor and through her gifts. She gave the ultimate gift.. Life back to some, more time with their family, hope, their dreams back. She was so proud the day she got her driver's license and Tonya upheld her wishes. I don't know the exact number of the people's who lives changed because of her generosity. But I do know that it should be posted here. She is honored on the Tree of Life at Rapides Regional Hospital across from the ICU to forever remain. There are several other memorials honoring her and hopefully we'll be able to increase that year by year.
You will never be forgotten, for that.. We will make sure.
Right now I don't know if you'd be too disgusted to see how the guys live in the dorm or if you'd tear in there like a tornado yelling at Eric that it's disgusting and people don't live like that! I watched their flag line perform last week and it made me think how happy you'd be in a band with 300 people doing one of your most favorite things. Me and your Mom joke about how you'd be handling college life. Without a doubt we think you'd be having an absolute ball. Eric comes home almost every weekend and I see you telling him are you crazy there are parties to go TO! We're in college NOW! Your mother keeps teasing me, for all the laughs and jokes I made of you circle breathing when you got excited, she says I do it too.. All I have to say is IF I do... without a doubt I know where I learned it from :P..
Graduation was amazing, you were front of center, got a standing ovatation from the entire stadium and every single senior there. Not a dry eye in the house AND you got to go FIRST. Days, weeks, months roll by but it still feels like yesterday. But I'm happy to say you are so far from forgotten and missed every single second of everyday by friends and family.
Your mom still gets random strangers that approach her and tell her that they met you, knew you etc. Girl you definitely lived large in this small town, because it seems like it's a common occurance Tonya gets oh, you're Shai's mom!! She's blown away by it.. Makes her smile, make her proud.. I don't know if you have a hand in this, but if you do.. Keep it up, she loves to hear it.
Keep an eye on Eric for me, you know he's a boy and ugh, they just don't have it all together like you would. <3 ..
I knew shai through haliegh and spent a lot of summers at her dads, when shai was there which she was always the little sister and we would always jump off the deck and hold hands i had a lot of fun with shai she had a lot of energy. we could swim all day if dad would let us and get so dark,,i had a lot of good summers there and was so excited when haliegh would calll me and say,,hey you wanna go to dads im sure shai will be there,,and we would go and have a blast and enjoy the summer heat and the cold water,she really was a sweet girl and i hope everyone is doing well praying for the family,,god has her now R.I.P SHAI SHAI
Most likely the craziest, and now funniest memory i have of my sister, is when she locked me out of the house. I was around 15 and she was 14. We were staying at dads, and we were fighting over the house phone; because we didnt have cell phones then. I finally got it from the chatter box and went on the porch with it till it was dead. When i go to open the door, its locked. So i start knocking, and knocking, until she comes down stairs only to look at me with a huge grin on her face. I most likely yelled some stuff while she just giggled at me for being out in the december chill. I checked every window, every door, and everything was locked. She was very determined to keep me outside, and she did..until dad got home around 2 that morning. I sat outside for about 4 hours, and even though it was freezing..i was steaming from being so angry lol When dad opened the door, his words were "i dont care what you do to her, just dont be loud, because im going to bed" I chased shai lane around that house for about an hour until i caught up with her. She got what was coming to here lol and we laughed about it a few days later. Although i have a bunch of crazy memories about me and her, this is my favorite. i love her so very much<3
So both Eric and Shai were rocking honor roll a few years back and Tona and I decided they deserved a road trip.. Just so happen there was a concert in Shreveport (Hurt, Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace and Seether).. Was a fantastic concert 4 hours long and our favorite songs at the time.
Well Eric is in football training, he leans over and yells, "Hey Mom! Something stinks!".. I know what it is, it's a rock concert.. He yells again "OMG, Mom, they're smoking pot!" At this point he has his shirt covering his nose and face.. then he yells "MOM, it's not just one person it's the WHOLE row!".. Tonya and I continue to try and ignore it, then the guy in front of it asks Shai if she'd like some... She tells me thanks a lot Noodle, got us tickets in the pot smoking section and rolls her eyes at the guy and says hell no!"
After the end of the concert, the stairs are slippery with all the spilled drinks.. Eric of course slips and cracks his elbow.. Shai says way to go pothead... On the way to the hospital to get x-rays, she continued to pick on him asking if he had the munchies yet..
So from then on, I wasn't allowed to get the tickets because apparently I always chose the pot smoking section..
BTW... Neither one of our kids touched drugs, they're all about the whole Just say no!
So I take the troop to the Paragon casino for a few days.. Josh, Shai, Eric and Austin.. Tonya is at work and going to join us later, I said no rush, we're laying out by the pool everythings great, listen to the water.. hear it splash jealous huh!
Well the afternoon rolls on, Shai and I keeping an eye on each other to make sure we don't burn.. We go into the restroom to change into dry clothes and OMG! With the different lighting and out of direct sunlight we were BURNT to a crisp.. I think the poor girl's nose peeled for two weeks... I apologized soooo many times to Tona for making shai shai a crispy critter... She just laughed at us and everytime we got aloe rubbed on our shoulders we'd ooooo and ahhhh lol.
Shai was such a wonderful young lady,every time she came to my house i did nothing but laugh.We have only known shai for a little over 8 months but it was enough time for us to love her as our own.She was dating my step-daughter Brittany and i'm sure lots of people didn't agree or like it.But i did they were a wonderful couple and you could see the love they had for each other all the time ,Shai would just light up when Britt was around and Britt was the same.I am gonna miss seeing them together and spending time with them laughing at Shai for some of the crazy stuff she would say.I love that kid and always will if anything she taught us to laugh more.Shai we will always keep your memories alive at our house.Tonya And Boomer I can't imagine the pain you are going through and i will continue to pray for yall her life was just way to short,but god had other plans for her and we will see her again one day.........RIP Shai Lane McNeal.......................
I remember when Shai was younger. We lived in Pineville and she came to stay with Nettie. Shai was always full of smiles and sunshine. She always made us laugh. She could not stand Nettie's messy room She showed Nettie how to clean it and she told Nettie that she had better keep it that way. To Sha'si parents, THANK YOU FOR RAISING A GREAT KID, AND FOR TEACHING HER HOW TO MAKE PEOPLE LAUGH. Shai, you will always be special to us. THANK YOU for being part of our daughter's life. By the way Shai, Nettie not only keeps her room clean, but also the house :).
