Kathleen Mary Kuhn and Daniel Herbert Edwards were happily married in October of 1992. Dan was a police officer and Kathy a bank officer.
Toby was born July 5, 1995. Born just after midnight, he missed the 4th of July by 10 minutes! We were all there and thrilled to death.
On December 18th, Kathy had been Christmas shopping in Springfield, IL. She and Toby, driving home, hit a patch of black ice.
A semi hit her broadside.
Toby was killed instantly.
We were called by our son at midnight, and had to be flown by the state police from our small town in Illinois to Springfield. The snow storm was a monster. We could not get through on the major highways.
Kathy was on life support until Christmas Eve, when she too died. Her organs could not be used, as the neurologist refused to let our son take her off life support even though she had been brain dead for hours. That in itself was a horrid loss, as Kathy was an athlete, and every organ could have been used. She had no injury other than internal brain. We did with the help of legislature, get hospital policy changed. Today, all of her organs would have been harvested.
What a wonderful Christmas gift that would have been !!!!! But, that was not to be.
Their Memorial Service was something to behold !!! There were 500 people attending, with fire trucks, city squad cars, sheriff, and state police cars from all over the state of Illinois !!
Toby was, at five months, just beginning to be his own little person. A giggle at grampie's beard, and a pull, and his little tongue always out in an impish grin. His fat little hands were always wanting to grab something.
Kathy was a bottle of champagne ready to be uncorked. A whisp of Irish, full of charm, a personality that did not know a stranger. We could not have loved her more if she had been our own daughter.
The accident was the fault of no one. Our hearts went out to the semi driver, he too was sliding on black ice. It was the fault of no one.
Kathy and Dan were youth leaders in church, she was an ordained deacon as was Dan.
The whole town loved Kathy. She was originally from Chicago, but she also loved this small town.
We send balloons at every occasion, and know they grab them - our two Angels. Toby has his tongue out, and Kathy is smiling and saying - "We are OK. Toodles."
Kathy was in our lives for eight years. Toby for five short months. Still missed, still so loved. And Dan, Dad and Husband, is still single. He had to move away, it was just too painful.
Our lives have gone on...what is the alternative?
THERE IS NONE.
