Nicole Story page 10

The doctors planned her surgery for the last week in July, but she was very upset because that was the week we were going to Crested Butte, CO. She was anxious to see her friends. The doctors didn’t want her upset when they opened her chest and re-scheduled the surgery for the Tuesday following our trip. So, at the end of July 1999 we went on our annual retreat to Crested Butte. Nicole had a lot of fear. At fifteen, she was unable to share it, at least with adults. While we were in Crested Butte, her friends gathered around her and helped her through the fear. Her friend Julie had lost her father the previous year so, the very first person on Nicole’s call list was Julie. She wanted Julie to know she was OK. I sat high on the mountain and a new friend came along to help me with my fear.