STORY 

Thank you Donna, of course I miss you like crazy, but today - especially today - I feel incredibly lucky, and grateful, for having known you, and for having some wonderful and amazing friends, so today is a celebration for you, and for the wonderful people I got to know through you. They know who they are.

Donna,

I'm thinking of you and missing you today. There is so much my heart would like to say, but it's so hard to find the words. You touched my life in such a beautiful way...thank you for opening your world and your heart. I'm blessed for having known you. 

carrie

I'll never forget, and will forever Love you. <3

 I really just want to express my gratitude to everyone that has stopped by this page. It means more than you all know.

 I would like to add my thanks to those of you that have stopped by  & lit a candle or just to remember Donna .

Thank you Angie, this is a wonderful site which I'm sure I'll be back to visit many times.

Whilst death rests heavy on the ones left behind it is a small comfort  to know she is no longer in pain & that she gave someone else the gift of a better quality of life through organ donation.

Donna, I love you, I miss you. Take care of those boys & your father, until we meet again x 

 We probably all have our favourite memory/photograph of Donna. I hope that you have many wonderful memories to call on when you are feeling sad or missing her.

I do. Growing up we were like chalk and cheese. She was the outgoing, adventurous trouble maker. I was the quiet, serious one. She loved to travel, I hated it. She was the ying to my yang.

Despite our differences I loved her dearly & for the most part we got along fairly well. Sure we had the average sibling rivalry for our parents attention going on, and during our boarding school years we didn't see a lot of each other. But as adults we reconnected.

It's easy to get wrapped up in your own life, to forget about the things that are important. I was guilty of that for a long time. I put my work ahead of my partner and my family. My father's death & then Donna's illness was a wake up call for me. I'm glad I was able to be there for her when it really counted.

I've lost a sister but I've gained a brother. David, you will always be part of the family. I love you man.

Thank you for your tributes.

 June & Family,

We are still in shock & disbelief at the tragic news, Please don't hesitate to ring us if you need anything. David, we are so very sorry for your loss, it's hard to find the words to express  our sorrow & sympathy.

Abbey still talks fondly of that last trip to Paris & "Aunty Donna". She drew this picture for her that I would like to share with you.

In case you are wondering, yes that is the spaceship ready to take Donna to heaven to become an angel.

Much Love & our thoughts are with you all Xxxx

Hello everybody, I just read the news today about Donna's passing, and feeling very sad hearing this news after keeping up with all the other updates about her prior to and post birth.

We were relatively new friends having met on FB and directed me here on Multiply. My heart goes out to the family. And although we were new, and not real close friends, we had some fun moments on line as I saw her sharp wit immediately, and liked it!

Later she confided about her MS, and I shared with her my sister has MS and on the advanced Tysabri, drug she was on. Donna told me about her trip to Switz and the stem cell procedure...

I also kidded her for living in a posh scene on Victoria Peak in Hong Kong. I told her of my times in HK staying at the infamous and dreaded Chung King Mansions on Nathan Rd as a "traveler".

Feeling sad today. I wanted to send this song out to Donna. The Battle of Evermore by Led Zeppelin...I don't know if she liked LZ or this song (who doesn't?), but it's a feel good song for anybody reading this post and to link to You Tube...

Donna, this song is for you, and rest in peace ~!~

Mark

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4oUJUCDX1s

I've just heard the tragic news. J & family, I'm so sorry for your loss. 

When I found out in January that I had to travel to Hong Kong for work I was a little nervous. I had not travelled outside of the US before.

Luckily a friend on facebook suggested I contact a girl on their friends list who lived in Hong Kong. That girl turned out to be Donna.

She was more than happy to give me all the advice I needed on hotels, transport, places to eat and sightseeing. I couldn't get over how gracious and friendly she was to me - a complete stranger!

I was even more overwhelmed when she suggested we meet for coffee or a meal when I got to Hong Kong. We did get together a few times, she was even more radiant & beautiful in person.

Donna I only knew you for a short time but you are one of the most beautiful people I'm ever likely to meet.

 and one of Daniel.

 This is a picture of Dylan I sketched from a photograph.

hmmm Ash, that's not quite the way Donna used to tell that story....from what I 

recall you didn't need much encouragement! lol

The tributes so far have been beautiful. Tonight I spent several hours trying to decide what to write about & searching through my albums. I kept coming back to this

photo.

pictured left to right J, Mandy, Chris, Me, Anton, Donna

Donna was never big on surprises, she needed to know 3 months in advance what

her christmas present from me was going to be. So when J approached me saying he wanted to throw her a surprise wedding overseas and we had about 4 weeks to

organise everything I just shook my head & thought to myself "You are crazy,

she's going to kill you". 

  But I have to admit once we started planning & the tasks were delegated out

everything just fell into place nicely. Apart from forgetting to book a hairdresser

the day was absolutely perfect.

Donna & J made a beautiful couple & even though they had just over a year

together as man & wife they managed to experience more together than most couples who are married for a lifetime.

I miss you honey & I'm so sad I never got to meet your beautiful boys. 

 Some of you have asked about Donna's last days & some more details on how she died. Rather than repeat myself I felt it was better to post an entry here.

I arrived in Hong Kong roughly 3 weeks after the boys were born. Donna was still extremely withdrawn, grieving for Dylan & battling with her own ill health.

The months of stress were really starting to take their toll on David (some of you know him as J) & both the mum's as well. To be honest I was happy to be able to take some of the burden off their shoulders. I kept myself busy ensuring that the fridge was well stocked, regular meals were provided & that everyone took regular breaks from the hospital.

We started to see an improvement in Donna's mental state, she began to show more of an interest in Daniel & life in general. Even when she found out Daniel needed

major surgery she seemed to deal with the news pretty well.

Her own pace maker surgery was deferred while Daniel was still listed as critical. The last few days before her death Daniel was not expected to make it & neither she or David would leave his bedside.

By the friday she was so physically & mentally exhausted we persuaded her to finally leave the hospital and get a few hours rest.

The fact that she didn't put up much of a fight should have alerted us that something wasn't right, but we were all just relieved she was actually paying attention to her own health for a change that we didn't think twice.

I checked on her several times during the day but wasn't too concerned

until about 9pm and she still hadn't got out of bed. It was then that I discovered

she wasn't breathing, so I called for an ambulance. The paramedics managed to

get her heart beating again on the ride to the hospital, but too much had elapsed

and she was declared brain dead shortly after arrival at the hospital.

I know I can speak for the family when I say we have nothing but praise for the medical staff that attended Donna & the twins. They provided a high level of

care & compassion. Sadly it wasn't enough.

Rest In Peace.

 Donna was passionate about photography., and she was damn good at it. I'd like to share my  all time favourite picture that has graced my desktop for the last couple of years. She took this one when she visited Australia back in 2007/08.

 You will always be a star in my book!

When I was 8 years old I was invited to my cousins

sleepover birthday party. Donna was one of her mates from

school.

Even back then she stood out from a crowd, the natural ringleader

&  a real tom boy.

After an evening of innocent party games, gorging ourselves silly

on pizza, icecream & cake we setlled down to watch a couple of

scary movies.

Donna produced a packet of cigs & a half full bottle of vodka that she

had filched earlier & she proceeded to dare us all to try them.

So the bottle & a couple of cigs got passed around. I have to

confess I didn't enjoy either very much and judging by the reaction

of the other girls neither did they. (one of the girls rushed off to the

bathroom to be sick, another one didn't quite make it & she

managed to throw up...all over, mostly in, my fav pair of pink fluffy

slippers!)

Of course we got busted & we all got in trouble, but Donna 

owned up to her part in the misadventure and took most of the rap.

We became firm friends from that night onwards.

I am proud to have known you Donna, I will always cherish every moment

we shared together. You were taken from us far too soon and I will miss

you more than words can express. May you, Dylan & wee Daniel rest in peace.

God Bless. 

 When I am gone, release me, let me go,

I have so many things to see and do,

You mustn't tie yourself to me with tears.

Be happy that we had so many days, hours, years.

I gave you my love, You can only guess,

How much you gave to me in happiness.

I thank you for the love you each have shown,

But now it is time I travel alone.

So grieve a while for if grieve you must,

then let your grief be, comforted by trust.

It's only for awhile that we must part,

so bless the memories within your heart.

I won't be far away, for life goes on.

So if you need me, call and I will come.

Though you can't see or touch me, I'll be near.

And if you listen with your heart, you'll hear,

All of my love around you, soft and clear.

And then, when you must come this way alone,

I'll greet you with a smile, and say,.......

"Welcome Home"

 I found this poem when I logged into Donna's site today.

Her way of saying good bye I guess.