Kelley Ann's Story - Remembering a Princess

It is with the saddest heart that I write this article for my readers. Although we think that sometimes in our separate lives we have it worse, there is anyways a time when you can find someone that has it so much worse then you. Cristen Ferguson is one of my closest and dearest friends. We have known each other since my junior year in high school, I couldn't tell how we met, but being the minority probably helped. We started to hang out, out side of school, and I would help in her family business. In a sense I became her sister, and saw her parents as sort of my own while with them. They were the first people besides my Mom and Dad, that I told that I was leaving for the Army. So you could say that they two worried how I was, even my report cards got looked at by her dad, which always brought up laughs in the family. After Cristen graduated and left I was there to go to the Army and finish high school, however it seems that we never forgot one another. I kept a picture in my wallet of her for the last eight years hoping to one day be reunited with her and her family. Well a month ago, I received an email from Cristen and of course didn't recognize her last name as she had since married, but because of the subject heading I thought why not take a look. It was her, and she hadn't changed a bit, as soon as I read her letter I called her. From that moment on we have talked everyday.

We had missed so much in the years that had gone by and the most important was the birth of her two little girls, Kelley Ann and Kimberly Jolee Ferguson. As we were talking I was heartbroken to find out that on March 30, 2008 that Kelley Ann died after a courageous five day fight, surrounded by her family and being held in her Mother's arms. Mom and Dad as well as the other family member, took Kelley Ann's death very hard, and even now have to stand back and breath to gain control over their grief. I cried that night as I looked over the pictures of her funeral, knowing that I would never know this sweet little girl, that my chance had passed. I decided that the one thing that I could do for Kelley Ann was to get her story out to more people; in order hopefully prevent the same circumstances, leading to her death, from happening to other children her age. A beautiful, smart, sassy little Angel was taken from this world to soon, and I need the help of my readers so that this doesn't happen again.

Kelley Ann was visiting her Grandparents, at their home in Dallas, while Cristen and her husband were taking furniture to her home in Oklahoma, and after a few days would return to pick the kids up and take them home. However the furniture trip was short lived. Not Forty-five minutes after arriving to her home, Cristen's cell phone rang. Her Father was calling to tell her that young Kelly Ann had fallen into the family pool and drowned, that she was being taken to Dallas Children's Hospital, but that her condition was not stable. Without thought Cristen and her husband jumped into the car and started back to Dallas, checking in with the family every few minutes until an hour outside of Dallas, she lost reception. During that hour, so many things were going through my sister's mind , as to what could be happening. Was Kelley OK, was she going to pull through? Cristen called on her faith to pull her through, and she prayed, tears rolling down her somber face as she drove that last hour back to Dallas. Exhaustion, took a back seat once she arrived at the hospital, and met her awaiting family in a private waiting room. They were still waiting for the doctor to give them news about Kelley Ann. Cristen stood as the Doctor entered the room, "How is she," she asked. The Doctor began to explain Kelley's condition, and with regret informed Cristen and the family that little Kelley Ann probably not be able to make it through the night.

With all the swelling from the water intake , and all the I. IV.s in Kelley's little body the tests that needed to be ran had to wait until some of it had gone down, in order to further assess the damage done internally to her body. Although Kelly had not been in the water for long, it only takes two minutes for an infant to drown when breathing in water. Cristen hardly left her side for the five days that Kelley remained alive. Things seemed to be getting better, when she started to try to breath on her own, and started to take food from a tube and not reject it, Cristen and the family saw hope. Kelley stayed in a coma the entire time, and they learn later that she was now hardly feeling any pain. Cristen was told that Kelly would be going in for a MRI on her brain, in the early hours of Friday morning, and that the Doctor's could then tell the family the news on how much damage there had been to the brain; if, at all, there was any chance of recovery for the little girl.

The Doctor took Cristen and her Husband aside and explained the results of the MRI, and began to discuss the families options for the little girl. What the MRI showed was that Ninety-five percent of Kelley Ann's brain was irrevocably damaged, and that what was left was barely able to sustain her organs. None of her brain cells seemed to be working and all that was left undamaged was the five percent in her brain stem. Kelley was basically being kept alive by the tubes and machines connected to her little body. Cristen was devastated, and quietly told her family what was going on, but with this news Cristen had to make a decision. No Parent should ever have to stand over their children's bedside and decide the need to let the child pass, and end their suffering; as Kelley would have no quality of life in a vegetative state.

Cristen and the family talked to the family religious leader, and decided that the next morning, Kelley Ann would be taken off of life support. This gave all of the family time to come and say there good-byes. Cristen walked in to the room that morning and started to talk to little Kelley, telling her how much she was loved, and that they would all see each other again one day when it was time. She told her not to worry and that mommy would be there until Kelley decided to leave her. The Doctors came in and started to turn off the machines, and unhook all the IVs and tubes, a nurse gently handed her to Cristen, and she sat and rocked Kelley until she took her last breath, talking to her the entire time. As little Kelly Ann Ferguson took her last breath, Cristen kissed her and then laying her gently on her bed, taking one last long look she said good-bye and went to tell the Doctors that it was over. As Cristen arrived home that day all she could do was wrap her little Kimberley in her arms, and tell her that she was sorry. Although no one had told Kimberley that her older sister had died, she looked at her Mommy and said that Kelly Ann was in heaven. One wonders how one, that's not barely two would know such a thing but she did. At 3 years, 1 month, and 14 days old Kelley Ann Ferguson passed.

Immediately, the family took measures to insure that it would not happen again, and after doing research, found a company called KatchaKid, whom sold nets to secure over the pool while it was not in use. Also making sure the access to the backyard was blocked unless there was a key to unlock the door to go out, and the key is hung well out of reach from little hands. It is my hope that parents of young children, that read this will be aware of the danger that does exist by not having a safety device to keep access to the pool restricted, when not in use. Not a month went by from Kelley Ann's drowning , when another area family lost two children to the same type of accident. Nets, covers, and fences are easy to install to help protect one's family from a loss like this. I implore you to do all that you can to get the word of the Kelley Ann out to all people that you know. Maybe with her passing we can learn, a valuable lesson in life.

Our kids are our future, and without them, we are nothing.