hey hirsch family! how are you? i was just wondering if you guys were going to the camp good days gala bcz i painted a vase for jacquie and they are selling them there. <3 shannon colligan! <3
beautiful new intro i am in tears!!! i love you all so much!!! jacquie my heart still aches for you i miss and love you so much my precious little cousin! love angela
Sharon, Jacquie, Torey and TJ, Ughhh!! Heavy hearted days and I can not even begin to imagine how the days and minutes and seconds must be for you with each step you take. You are doing such beautiful things in Jacquie’s name and spirit. Wish you did not have to be, but your continued fight and gift of the foundation is such a gift to the world. Believing in all of you, always. Love, Sara
Sharon, Like everyday I visited Jacquie’s website and like everyday my heart ached for you & your family. Although, Geneseo’s tribute to Jacquie was wonderful I still find it so…..difficult to pass the Geneseo sign on 390 and not have the tears flow. Always in my thoughts.
i dont really know if this is gonna work. but here’s your big, your little, your little little and your little little little. o my goodness.. and see right next to holly we left room for you, jac<3 miss you so much. hope you like the picture, hirschs!! =)
Hi Sharon,Two Monday’s ago I had a really important meeting at work that was basically going to decide whether I stayed with the company after my first 90 days. I was so nervous considering my recent luck with jobs. The night before the meeting I went to bed with lots on my mind. Jacquie must of known I needed a little bit of help because she showed up in every single one of my dreams. She looked beautiful and we were laughing and having a great time. When I woke up I knew everything was going to be ok. Jacquie was there with me and was going to make sure of it. I went into work and had my meeting and everything turned out even better than I expected. It was the first good news I’ve had in months and I knew Jacquie was there to share it with me. I miss you and can’t wait for June!Still Believing,Liz
There are never any words to say to help you…but please know, especially as a Mother, I am praying for you each night…My thoughts are always with you….
sharon – just a quick hello… the graduation honoring of jacquie was perfect and i totally did NOT mind breaking the rules to give you a quick smooch after receiving my diploma!i’ll be going home to the city tuesday, but we should be up to visit some time this summer and i will surely give you a call.love you so much and think about you all every day<3jac -as i’m packing up your old room right now my heart is breaking thinking about the many going out nights sitting in here watching the bachelor, hills, rock of love, drinking bevs, straightening our hair, talking about idiot boyfriends, picking out outfits, complaining about how smelly our feet are, chowing down on snacks, and having the times of our lives.i love you. i miss you. i think about you every single day. stay with me, big<3your little.
Seeing you yesterday Sharon was great. I havent seen you, I think since the Vera party!! When we were talking yesterday, and you were explaining to me and Mrs. Meholick, the two necklaces you had on, I couldnt help but let a few tears come down. I know that one of your necklaces has the fingerprint of Jax. I love that one. I think that Jacquie is so happy that you wear it, and now she is with you wherever you go. The “Jacquie Song” was beautiful. It was so meaningful and I was so greatful to be able to see that. Sharon, I think about you each and every day. I worry about you each and every day, and I pray that you and your family will be okay. Like I said in earlier messages, I sit on my bench, that looks out to my backyard, and I talk to Jax every single day! I got home last night at 12:30, and I still sat down to chat with her. Anyways, my main point of this message is that I was so happy to see you yesterday, and I honestly do wish I could see you and your family more often. I love you with all my heart, and I know you are strong, stronger than anyone I know. Love, Natalie Maranto STILL BELIEVING
Jacquie, Sharon, Torey and TJ, As the moments and days pass and dates come and go, I just find myself wishing…wishing for so many things. Thinking of you all so strongly and hurting for all that you and everyone else touched by Jacquie, must face with each memory and moment. Smiles and tears. Jacquie- you still shine and light up the room which is an amazing unique quality. Love and a hug, Sara
Good Morning! Sharon, I have to tell you about my Mother’s Day…we always go to the Cemetary for a Mass. This year as I was walking in my sister tapped me on the shoulder and said look down, in front of us was this cute little blonde girl with curls. The little girl was wearing a jean jacket and across the back TINKERBELL. And then in the mass was an “I believe” prayer, there were about 8 lines we had to say outloud and each began with I BELIEVE. I am blessed to know that Jacquie was hugging me on Mother’s day too. I am so thankful that you raised such a beautiful daughter, I know more about friendship, love, loyalty, kindness and food because you were such a great Mom!! I love you. xoxo Ashley
Hi Big Buddy, Wanting to let you know how much I love you and the boys and Jax! Also want to tell you that 8 months is not a long time. The loss is immense, and the love will forever be with you. Time is for healing,learning to feel life again. But it’s never really for moving on/forgetting because she will always be with you. Give yourself the time to heal, don’t feel like you should be in a better mind frame or anything like that. Finally, you my dear, are an incredible mother. I can only hope to be half of what you are! With all my love, Little Buddy PS. Patrick missed Torey this week in NYC. He was in Toronto, when he got his message!
Sharon, I thought of you on Mother’s Day. I just want to say after reading your updates, you say WHY? Of course, who wouldn’t say that! But maybe she was so special she only needed to be here a little while. After all, we are all here for a certain amount of time, to learn and grow, and move on to where we have always belonged, to where we were before this. She just did it faster. Trust that everything is as it was meant to be. But not to say move on, no one has the right to tell you that. Just know she is OK, she is not far, she is with you. I hope you believe that.
Sharon~ I’m so sorry for your pain and saddness on this past mother’s day. Please know that you are an unbelievable mother and I thank you so much for Jacquie. I am blessed to have had her in my life. She was one of the best friends I’ll ever have, and I just want you to know how very very honored I am to have Jacquie in my wedding. I believe she will be there in more ways then one. We all have the best guardian angel around. Love always, Nichole Miss u and Love u so much Tink <3
sharon, what a painfully beautiful update you had for mother’s day. my heart is aching for you so badly and i would love to give you a HUGE hug right now!i can’t wait to send you pictures from today’s folly family gathering. i know you won’t be able to be there today, and i completely understand that you must be hurting so bad but we will take (probably too many) pictures of holly, ali, kelly and myself. i think this will be the first time we will all be together since jacquie’s candlelight ceremony at the sdt house. today is a special day.we love you SO VERY MUCH, and think about you all the time. you are SO loved.<3sammiejac, come stop by holly’s house today so we can say we really have FIVE generations of your sweet family line there<3 my heart hurts today, i love you.
I know today is going to be impossible. Remember what a great Mother you are. Jacquie talked about it constantly and felt so lucky to have you as her Mom. I love you guys and am thinking of you always. <3 SadiePS - pictures are coming from the Relay - I have to shrink them because they are too big to send!
Happy Mothers Day Sharon! I hope you are all doing well and I know today must have been hard on you, you are such a strong and amazing mother and I hope you felt Jax sending her love and thankfullness to you today. Im so excited for the Tinkerball and hate that i’ve missed the past 2 meetings, just bad luck and timeing I guess, but I have kept up with everything going on! Have a great day knowing your mothering skills created one of the most amazing people i’ve ever met. Love you guys 🙂
Sharon, I just wanted to send you a happy mother’s day! I’m sure it will be a difficult one, but I’m sure Jacquie is with you , as she is everyday! You are all in my prayers and thoughts daily!
Sharon, I know today will not be easy in any way, but please know that we ALL love you dearly. Especially today, but everyday, you are in my thoughts and prayers. Sending my love, God bless, Casey
Hi Girlfriend,I’m just writing to tell you that I miss you… a lot and like Pauline said sometimes I feel that this is all a dream. You know its the beginning of May? Do you know what that means? IB staff parties when you and Pauline carry me out of the bar because my knee doesn’t work. I MISS YOU AND LOVE YOU!Marietta*you continue to inspire me*
Sharon, Torey, TJ and Jacquie,8 months does not seem possible…and yet every second must be so incredibly agonizingly painful and lonely for you. Ashleys most recent message, the first paragraph, she says it well. Jacquie is yours, your heart, your world…when is it ever time to move on, how do you move on from such a hurt. I guess you just keep stepping forward, but that pain and emptiness and love is so strong I think it stays for always. So just know I am caring about you and missing beautiful Jacquie and you are always in my mind, as the Hirsch 4. Love, Sara
Good Morning!! Sharon 8 months…8 months is not long, its not a year, it’s not enough time to move on…there will probably never be a time when you move on. No body will ever expect you or Torey or TJ to move on. She is your daughter, you are allowed to love her and miss her forever! You are doing such an amazing job, not only do you get up everyday and work hard to carry on Jacquie’s legacy, but you support all of us. Believe it or not, if it wasn’t for your posts I’d have a really hard time. I find alot of comfort in reading your thoughts and feelings. Also, I sent Madison’s story to a couple people that I work with, they know all about Jacquie and I wanted to show them how special she is. My partner, Mike, said after reading “How amazing your friend must be that she truly touched the life of a child in such a way they wrote something like this.” We should all only hope that one day someone writes a story like that about all of us. I LOVE YOU!! XOXO Ashley
Sharon- I never know what to say. I know you don’t feel strong, yet every update you post shows how strong you are. I am in awe each time you have the courage to write.I can’t imagine anyone that knew how close you were to Jacquie would expect you to be able to “move on” in such a short time. A mother should never have to endure this pain.Take care of yourself. The four of you continue to be in our prayers.
Hi Sharon, Hirsch’s or even anybody reading this. I got an e-mail the other day and after reading it, I knew I had to share it because it seems to fit perfectly. “A Dogs Purpose” (From a 6 year old) Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog’s owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn’t do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker ’s family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.The little boy seemed to accept Belker’s transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker’s Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ’’I know why.’’Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I’d never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I try and live.He said,’ People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life — like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?’’ The Six-year-old continued,’ Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long.’’
my girl, today ub and i did something so sad..we planted 2 lilac bushes as memorials. 1 for you, it is lavender, and 1 white one for elyce kausner who died in the crash of flight 3407. the connections seem to be everywhere, you were both 23yrs. old, beautiful, full of life and had smiles to light up the sky. we also planted white violets [with lavendar centers] around the lilacs. i brought them to this house when we built it, from our house in snyder. i would go to your house and tend you and tj back then. all those years ago, elyce’s dad finished building our house out here. now, after all these years your mom,dad and tj are around the corner from us again[as you should be] and elyce’s parents live next door.. we planted the lilacs close together so they can intertwine.
Hi Hirsch Family, I hope you are all doing well, and I wanted to know that I have been thinking about you. Especially recently. I am about to finish nursing school and I got a job at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC on their pediatric oncology/hematology unit. There is not a day that will go by that I won’t think of Jacquie. I know that she will be with me in spirit to help bring courage to those who need a little help to be brave. Don’t worry Jax, I will share your story and work my BEST to making it a cancer free world down here. love margot coogan
sharon, you all do so much in Jacquie’s honor that i am so amazed…yeah on the relay…TJ, i would love to hear/see your speech. i am sure you were captivating to the audience. Your admiration of your sister is evident in your daily walk. Gia has her first “real” ballet recital on Jacquie’s birthday. The other day she told me that she was nervous about “all those people watching me,” so i told her that jax would give her strength from heaven and be with her. She felt better as most people did around jacquie’s presence. I miss you and love you sharon, torey, tj and jacquie!
hirsch family, we miss you all so much and hope to see you all soon, i hope everything is going well, and i am hoping to make it to the tinkerball 🙂 im very excited to go ! stay strong, and we all love you. we believe forever, lily jagodzinski kit perusich ken jagodzinski jack jagodzinski
Jacquie, So I went for my cast today…had a choice of colors, I had no idea you can choose colors for casts these days. I was going to go with something subdued like dull blue or black.Try not to draw attention to myself. At the last min. something made me stop the guy and ask if I could have purple. I suddenly had to have tink purple! So I have “Jacquie for all, we believe” PURPLE for my cast. And as always the purple makes me think of you and your mom and it makes my heart both smile and cry. Love, Sara
i wish so badly that i could have been at relay last weekend. (i was at home having an early mother’s day celebration with my mom because i won’t be able to go home on the real thing thanks to finals.) but please know that in spirit and in heart i was there! i know it must have been so bittersweet… having raised so much money (SADIE YOU ARE SO AMAZING) yet not having our beautiful Jac there as the guest speaker. but there is no doubt in my mind that TJ gave a beautiful speech… helping everyone to feel at least a little better. as the weather gets warmer and some buds are starting to come out, i find that my feelings of missing jac are getting stronger again. i thought this would happen. it’s like part of me wants to be so happy because the sunshine is such a welcome friend after almost 6 months of cold, gray, dreariness… but then i wish so bad that jac was here to enjoy it too. i wish that we could lay out again this summer, carrying a plastic pool out my car window, and drinking mixed drinks and eating hot dogs. when i do get really sad and miss jac extra bad, i try my hardest to imagine that the sunshine and the warmth from the sun is actually jac herself… reminding us she is here, welcoming spring with us. jac, i miss you so much. i want you to know that i think i am going to order one of those really big vera bags (i don’t know the exact name) for my trip to Spain so I will have a really big carry on, and so I can have a constant reminder of you with me! i am getting a little nervous to go… i know it’s only 6 weeks, but after everything, i don’t want to leave my family or beege for that long. i know i will be lonely and homesick but i know that thinking of you and how brave you were being in NYC away from everything and everyone except your Mom, will make me feel better. i feel like i have so much more to say, but the only thing i can really get out is that I MISS YOU. i often lay in bed and think about it all and just get so angry because it is so unfair. ugh i miss you. i hope you know that i carry you in my heart everywhere, and as i know the rest of us “believers” do. sharon, torey, tj… hang in there. i still think of you guys all the time.xoxo <3 alicia <3 xoxo
It was so wonderful to see you all yesterday. TJ you did an amazing job and I’m so thankful that you were willing to speak. We ended up raising over $71,000 and the money is still rolling in! It’s amazing. I will send you pictures and everything soon.Love you guys, <3 Sadie
It was so wonderful to see all of you last night. It was such a successful event, and it was made even better being in Jacquie’s honor. It has been such a long time since I had seen all of you, I’m so glad we could catch up. Tj- your speech was wonderful. It truly showed everyone what Jacquie was all about, what she meant to those around her, and the impact that she has had on all of us. All of us together raised over $70,000 last night all in the fight against this awful disease, and we were all fighting for you! Always remember how many people you have fighting with you, you’re never alone!! With much love, thoughts, and prayers,<3 Mindy
Hello…So tomorrow is the Relay for Life in Geneseo. While I’m very excited for the event – excited to see all of you, excited that almost 1,000 people are signed up, and excited they will all be fighting cancer all night – I can’t help but also feel sad and angry that Jacquie won’t be there. Last year Jacquie called me on the day of Relay and we chatted for a while. She wanted to wish me luck which once again showed me her absolute selflessness. She was hoping that she could get to the NYU Relay that night but she wasn’t sure because she was feeling kind of crappy. We caught up with how things were going at Hope Lodge and how you were doing Sharon. We also talked about how this year was going to be so much different. How she would be at Relay this year to be our “Celebrate” Speaker. I don’t even understand why it happened that she cannot be there to speak and that instead TJ will be speaking about her… I already knew what I was going to say to introduce her as our speaker. How I would say she was the most amazing girl I’ve known, so strong and so brave and so concerned for everyone around her… I was going to say that this girl walked through hell and she found the strength to walk out of it. I wanted so badly to introduce her this year… to walk with her and laugh with her and celebrate with her… I can’t express how much I wish this were the case. Instead I will be walking with you tomorrow and grieving with you tomorrow – you must feel like you are walking through hell now and I want you to know that all of the extended Jacquie family will walk with you and help you keep walking. Jax did not lose her fight – not at all. She passed it on to us and we will fight for her forever. I will see you all tomorrow. I love you. <3 Sadie
Sharon,I haven’t written in a while, but you are constantly in my thoughts. I check the website often and pray that you are doing well. I am, along with many many others am attending relay for life tomorrow here at Geneseo. When people ask me why i relay, I always tell them all about Jacquie. It is going to be a difficult night, but everyone will be there supporting each other! Its going to be a fantastic event to raise money to fight this awful disease. I hope so see you there.Keep your chin up and remember how proud everyone, especially Jacquie, is of all of you. This foundation and what it represents is truly amazing and is inspiring to so many. I send you all my love and thoughts. <3 Mindy
Dear Hirsch family, Not a day goes by that we do not think of Jacquie. Shannon still wears the braclet in Jacquie’s memory and is extremely protective of the “tink” blanket Jacquie made for her at Roswell. Shannon recently had a clean chest CT at Roswell and continues to grow stronger every day. She also has a photo of Jacquie on the cover of her special photo album which is filled with only her best friends. With much love and care, The Colligan family
Good Morning!! I am so excited that tickets are on sale! I can’t wait to buy mine! On my website for the Philadelphia Triathlon with Team in Training that I am doing in Memory of Jacquie and my Mom, a women donated to me and wrote the following, which is a quote from a book: “What I Leave Behind: I hope my achievements in life shall be these – that I will have fought for what was right and fair, that I will have risked for that which mattered, that I will have given help to those who were in need… that I will have left the earth a better place for what I’ve done and who I’ve been.”” Jacquie fullfilled all of those achievements! She really has left the earth a better place and I am amazed by her everyday. Love you and Happy Belated Bday TJ…I hope you had a good day (and maybe a drink or two). xoxox Ashley
Anonymous says:
May 28, 2009 at 5:21 am -
just want to say that i love you all and im always thinking of you <3
shannon colligan says:
May 27, 2009 at 3:45 pm -
hey hirsch family! how are you? i was just wondering if you guys were going to the camp good days gala bcz i painted a vase for jacquie and they are selling them there. <3 shannon colligan! <3
Anonymous says:
May 26, 2009 at 3:40 pm -
Thinking of you all today!!! Please stay in touch! Jess & Fudd Rutan
angela says:
May 26, 2009 at 12:30 pm -
beautiful new intro i am in tears!!! i love you all so much!!! jacquie my heart still aches for you i miss and love you so much my precious little cousin! love angela
Sara (albuquerque) says:
May 22, 2009 at 11:36 pm -
Sharon, Jacquie, Torey and TJ, Ughhh!! Heavy hearted days and I can not even begin to imagine how the days and minutes and seconds must be for you with each step you take. You are doing such beautiful things in Jacquie’s name and spirit. Wish you did not have to be, but your continued fight and gift of the foundation is such a gift to the world. Believing in all of you, always. Love, Sara
Sue P says:
May 21, 2009 at 11:45 am -
Sharon, Like everyday I visited Jacquie’s website and like everyday my heart ached for you & your family. Although, Geneseo’s tribute to Jacquie was wonderful I still find it so…..difficult to pass the Geneseo sign on 390 and not have the tears flow. Always in my thoughts.
the little one says:
May 20, 2009 at 4:20 pm -
i dont really know if this is gonna work. but here’s your big, your little, your little little and your little little little. o my goodness.. and see right next to holly we left room for you, jac<3 miss you so much. hope you like the picture, hirschs!! =)
aunt val says:
May 20, 2009 at 12:48 pm -
thinking of you all who love her so much
Liz Fassl says:
May 20, 2009 at 12:37 pm -
Hi Sharon,Two Monday’s ago I had a really important meeting at work that was basically going to decide whether I stayed with the company after my first 90 days. I was so nervous considering my recent luck with jobs. The night before the meeting I went to bed with lots on my mind. Jacquie must of known I needed a little bit of help because she showed up in every single one of my dreams. She looked beautiful and we were laughing and having a great time. When I woke up I knew everything was going to be ok. Jacquie was there with me and was going to make sure of it. I went into work and had my meeting and everything turned out even better than I expected. It was the first good news I’ve had in months and I knew Jacquie was there to share it with me. I miss you and can’t wait for June!Still Believing,Liz
Anonymous says:
May 19, 2009 at 11:25 pm -
…well…and for keeping me calm…because i otherwise may have been curled up in an overhead bin.
Anonymous says:
May 19, 2009 at 11:24 pm -
Thanks for keeping me safe on my plane ride Tink!!!! <3
Sharon Colasanti says:
May 19, 2009 at 9:27 am -
There are never any words to say to help you…but please know, especially as a Mother, I am praying for you each night…My thoughts are always with you….
lil sammie says:
May 17, 2009 at 6:46 pm -
sharon – just a quick hello… the graduation honoring of jacquie was perfect and i totally did NOT mind breaking the rules to give you a quick smooch after receiving my diploma!i’ll be going home to the city tuesday, but we should be up to visit some time this summer and i will surely give you a call.love you so much and think about you all every day<3jac -as i’m packing up your old room right now my heart is breaking thinking about the many going out nights sitting in here watching the bachelor, hills, rock of love, drinking bevs, straightening our hair, talking about idiot boyfriends, picking out outfits, complaining about how smelly our feet are, chowing down on snacks, and having the times of our lives.i love you. i miss you. i think about you every single day. stay with me, big<3your little.
Sara (albuquerque) says:
May 17, 2009 at 10:51 am -
Ever impressive website, beautifully written messages, wonderful images of tributes…missing and remembering Jacquie-always.
natalie M. says:
May 16, 2009 at 11:16 am -
Seeing you yesterday Sharon was great. I havent seen you, I think since the Vera party!! When we were talking yesterday, and you were explaining to me and Mrs. Meholick, the two necklaces you had on, I couldnt help but let a few tears come down. I know that one of your necklaces has the fingerprint of Jax. I love that one. I think that Jacquie is so happy that you wear it, and now she is with you wherever you go. The “Jacquie Song” was beautiful. It was so meaningful and I was so greatful to be able to see that. Sharon, I think about you each and every day. I worry about you each and every day, and I pray that you and your family will be okay. Like I said in earlier messages, I sit on my bench, that looks out to my backyard, and I talk to Jax every single day! I got home last night at 12:30, and I still sat down to chat with her. Anyways, my main point of this message is that I was so happy to see you yesterday, and I honestly do wish I could see you and your family more often. I love you with all my heart, and I know you are strong, stronger than anyone I know. Love, Natalie Maranto STILL BELIEVING
Caitlin Burgher says:
May 15, 2009 at 4:24 pm -
TJ! i love the new intro..always a reason to believe!!
aunt val says:
May 15, 2009 at 12:01 pm -
always and forever
Sara (albuquerque) says:
May 14, 2009 at 11:20 am -
Jacquie, Sharon, Torey and TJ, As the moments and days pass and dates come and go, I just find myself wishing…wishing for so many things. Thinking of you all so strongly and hurting for all that you and everyone else touched by Jacquie, must face with each memory and moment. Smiles and tears. Jacquie- you still shine and light up the room which is an amazing unique quality. Love and a hug, Sara
Huer says:
May 14, 2009 at 10:01 am -
Good Morning! Sharon, I have to tell you about my Mother’s Day…we always go to the Cemetary for a Mass. This year as I was walking in my sister tapped me on the shoulder and said look down, in front of us was this cute little blonde girl with curls. The little girl was wearing a jean jacket and across the back TINKERBELL. And then in the mass was an “I believe” prayer, there were about 8 lines we had to say outloud and each began with I BELIEVE. I am blessed to know that Jacquie was hugging me on Mother’s day too. I am so thankful that you raised such a beautiful daughter, I know more about friendship, love, loyalty, kindness and food because you were such a great Mom!! I love you. xoxo Ashley
Indie says:
May 13, 2009 at 9:30 pm -
Hi Big Buddy, Wanting to let you know how much I love you and the boys and Jax! Also want to tell you that 8 months is not a long time. The loss is immense, and the love will forever be with you. Time is for healing,learning to feel life again. But it’s never really for moving on/forgetting because she will always be with you. Give yourself the time to heal, don’t feel like you should be in a better mind frame or anything like that. Finally, you my dear, are an incredible mother. I can only hope to be half of what you are! With all my love, Little Buddy PS. Patrick missed Torey this week in NYC. He was in Toronto, when he got his message!
Elaine says:
May 12, 2009 at 8:52 pm -
Sharon, I thought of you on Mother’s Day. I just want to say after reading your updates, you say WHY? Of course, who wouldn’t say that! But maybe she was so special she only needed to be here a little while. After all, we are all here for a certain amount of time, to learn and grow, and move on to where we have always belonged, to where we were before this. She just did it faster. Trust that everything is as it was meant to be. But not to say move on, no one has the right to tell you that. Just know she is OK, she is not far, she is with you. I hope you believe that.
Nichole B. says:
May 12, 2009 at 6:50 pm -
Sharon~ I’m so sorry for your pain and saddness on this past mother’s day. Please know that you are an unbelievable mother and I thank you so much for Jacquie. I am blessed to have had her in my life. She was one of the best friends I’ll ever have, and I just want you to know how very very honored I am to have Jacquie in my wedding. I believe she will be there in more ways then one. We all have the best guardian angel around. Love always, Nichole Miss u and Love u so much Tink <3
lil sammie says:
May 11, 2009 at 11:30 am -
sharon, what a painfully beautiful update you had for mother’s day. my heart is aching for you so badly and i would love to give you a HUGE hug right now!i can’t wait to send you pictures from today’s folly family gathering. i know you won’t be able to be there today, and i completely understand that you must be hurting so bad but we will take (probably too many) pictures of holly, ali, kelly and myself. i think this will be the first time we will all be together since jacquie’s candlelight ceremony at the sdt house. today is a special day.we love you SO VERY MUCH, and think about you all the time. you are SO loved.<3sammiejac, come stop by holly’s house today so we can say we really have FIVE generations of your sweet family line there<3 my heart hurts today, i love you.
Pinchoff says:
May 11, 2009 at 10:59 am -
Sharon, You are a great mother… absolutely an inspiration.
Sadie says:
May 10, 2009 at 10:05 pm -
I know today is going to be impossible. Remember what a great Mother you are. Jacquie talked about it constantly and felt so lucky to have you as her Mom. I love you guys and am thinking of you always. <3 SadiePS - pictures are coming from the Relay - I have to shrink them because they are too big to send!
Caitlin Burgher says:
May 10, 2009 at 9:47 pm -
Happy Mothers Day Sharon! I hope you are all doing well and I know today must have been hard on you, you are such a strong and amazing mother and I hope you felt Jax sending her love and thankfullness to you today. Im so excited for the Tinkerball and hate that i’ve missed the past 2 meetings, just bad luck and timeing I guess, but I have kept up with everything going on! Have a great day knowing your mothering skills created one of the most amazing people i’ve ever met. Love you guys 🙂
Melissa Lewis says:
May 10, 2009 at 2:24 pm -
Sharon, I just wanted to send you a happy mother’s day! I’m sure it will be a difficult one, but I’m sure Jacquie is with you , as she is everyday! You are all in my prayers and thoughts daily!
Casey Stiokas says:
May 10, 2009 at 8:46 am -
Sharon, I know today will not be easy in any way, but please know that we ALL love you dearly. Especially today, but everyday, you are in my thoughts and prayers. Sending my love, God bless, Casey
Marietta says:
May 7, 2009 at 11:18 pm -
Hi Girlfriend,I’m just writing to tell you that I miss you… a lot and like Pauline said sometimes I feel that this is all a dream. You know its the beginning of May? Do you know what that means? IB staff parties when you and Pauline carry me out of the bar because my knee doesn’t work. I MISS YOU AND LOVE YOU!Marietta*you continue to inspire me*
Sara (albuquerque) says:
May 7, 2009 at 1:02 pm -
Sharon, Torey, TJ and Jacquie,8 months does not seem possible…and yet every second must be so incredibly agonizingly painful and lonely for you. Ashleys most recent message, the first paragraph, she says it well. Jacquie is yours, your heart, your world…when is it ever time to move on, how do you move on from such a hurt. I guess you just keep stepping forward, but that pain and emptiness and love is so strong I think it stays for always. So just know I am caring about you and missing beautiful Jacquie and you are always in my mind, as the Hirsch 4. Love, Sara
Huer says:
May 7, 2009 at 9:13 am -
Good Morning!! Sharon 8 months…8 months is not long, its not a year, it’s not enough time to move on…there will probably never be a time when you move on. No body will ever expect you or Torey or TJ to move on. She is your daughter, you are allowed to love her and miss her forever! You are doing such an amazing job, not only do you get up everyday and work hard to carry on Jacquie’s legacy, but you support all of us. Believe it or not, if it wasn’t for your posts I’d have a really hard time. I find alot of comfort in reading your thoughts and feelings. Also, I sent Madison’s story to a couple people that I work with, they know all about Jacquie and I wanted to show them how special she is. My partner, Mike, said after reading “How amazing your friend must be that she truly touched the life of a child in such a way they wrote something like this.” We should all only hope that one day someone writes a story like that about all of us. I LOVE YOU!! XOXO Ashley
cmd says:
May 6, 2009 at 11:23 pm -
Sharon- I never know what to say. I know you don’t feel strong, yet every update you post shows how strong you are. I am in awe each time you have the courage to write.I can’t imagine anyone that knew how close you were to Jacquie would expect you to be able to “move on” in such a short time. A mother should never have to endure this pain.Take care of yourself. The four of you continue to be in our prayers.
Joe Browning says:
May 5, 2009 at 9:24 pm -
Hi Sharon, Hirsch’s or even anybody reading this. I got an e-mail the other day and after reading it, I knew I had to share it because it seems to fit perfectly. “A Dogs Purpose” (From a 6 year old) Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog’s owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn’t do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker ’s family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.The little boy seemed to accept Belker’s transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker’s Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ’’I know why.’’Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I’d never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I try and live.He said,’ People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life — like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?’’ The Six-year-old continued,’ Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long.’’
aunt val says:
May 5, 2009 at 12:45 pm -
my girl, today ub and i did something so sad..we planted 2 lilac bushes as memorials. 1 for you, it is lavender, and 1 white one for elyce kausner who died in the crash of flight 3407. the connections seem to be everywhere, you were both 23yrs. old, beautiful, full of life and had smiles to light up the sky. we also planted white violets [with lavendar centers] around the lilacs. i brought them to this house when we built it, from our house in snyder. i would go to your house and tend you and tj back then. all those years ago, elyce’s dad finished building our house out here. now, after all these years your mom,dad and tj are around the corner from us again[as you should be] and elyce’s parents live next door.. we planted the lilacs close together so they can intertwine.
Anonymous says:
May 4, 2009 at 3:17 am -
Hi Hirsch Family, I hope you are all doing well, and I wanted to know that I have been thinking about you. Especially recently. I am about to finish nursing school and I got a job at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC on their pediatric oncology/hematology unit. There is not a day that will go by that I won’t think of Jacquie. I know that she will be with me in spirit to help bring courage to those who need a little help to be brave. Don’t worry Jax, I will share your story and work my BEST to making it a cancer free world down here. love margot coogan
sue says:
May 3, 2009 at 6:11 pm -
sharon, you all do so much in Jacquie’s honor that i am so amazed…yeah on the relay…TJ, i would love to hear/see your speech. i am sure you were captivating to the audience. Your admiration of your sister is evident in your daily walk. Gia has her first “real” ballet recital on Jacquie’s birthday. The other day she told me that she was nervous about “all those people watching me,” so i told her that jax would give her strength from heaven and be with her. She felt better as most people did around jacquie’s presence. I miss you and love you sharon, torey, tj and jacquie!
Casey Stiokas says:
May 3, 2009 at 5:54 pm -
Sharon, I really miss the crinkled nose too. When I think of Jax’s smile, thats what I see.
aunt val says:
May 3, 2009 at 11:45 am -
it is may and so beautiful, and so hard.
Anonymous says:
May 2, 2009 at 12:09 am -
hirsch family, we miss you all so much and hope to see you all soon, i hope everything is going well, and i am hoping to make it to the tinkerball 🙂 im very excited to go ! stay strong, and we all love you. we believe forever, lily jagodzinski kit perusich ken jagodzinski jack jagodzinski
Anonymous says:
April 30, 2009 at 3:33 pm -
Jax!! I am flying tomorrow. I am a (terribly!) nervous flyer…but I know the plane’s wings won’t be the only wings keepin’ me safe up there…!!<3
Sara (albuquerque) says:
April 29, 2009 at 4:44 pm -
Jacquie, So I went for my cast today…had a choice of colors, I had no idea you can choose colors for casts these days. I was going to go with something subdued like dull blue or black.Try not to draw attention to myself. At the last min. something made me stop the guy and ask if I could have purple. I suddenly had to have tink purple! So I have “Jacquie for all, we believe” PURPLE for my cast. And as always the purple makes me think of you and your mom and it makes my heart both smile and cry. Love, Sara
alicia says:
April 29, 2009 at 3:41 pm -
i wish so badly that i could have been at relay last weekend. (i was at home having an early mother’s day celebration with my mom because i won’t be able to go home on the real thing thanks to finals.) but please know that in spirit and in heart i was there! i know it must have been so bittersweet… having raised so much money (SADIE YOU ARE SO AMAZING) yet not having our beautiful Jac there as the guest speaker. but there is no doubt in my mind that TJ gave a beautiful speech… helping everyone to feel at least a little better. as the weather gets warmer and some buds are starting to come out, i find that my feelings of missing jac are getting stronger again. i thought this would happen. it’s like part of me wants to be so happy because the sunshine is such a welcome friend after almost 6 months of cold, gray, dreariness… but then i wish so bad that jac was here to enjoy it too. i wish that we could lay out again this summer, carrying a plastic pool out my car window, and drinking mixed drinks and eating hot dogs. when i do get really sad and miss jac extra bad, i try my hardest to imagine that the sunshine and the warmth from the sun is actually jac herself… reminding us she is here, welcoming spring with us. jac, i miss you so much. i want you to know that i think i am going to order one of those really big vera bags (i don’t know the exact name) for my trip to Spain so I will have a really big carry on, and so I can have a constant reminder of you with me! i am getting a little nervous to go… i know it’s only 6 weeks, but after everything, i don’t want to leave my family or beege for that long. i know i will be lonely and homesick but i know that thinking of you and how brave you were being in NYC away from everything and everyone except your Mom, will make me feel better. i feel like i have so much more to say, but the only thing i can really get out is that I MISS YOU. i often lay in bed and think about it all and just get so angry because it is so unfair. ugh i miss you. i hope you know that i carry you in my heart everywhere, and as i know the rest of us “believers” do. sharon, torey, tj… hang in there. i still think of you guys all the time.xoxo <3 alicia <3 xoxo
Sadie says:
April 26, 2009 at 5:09 pm -
It was so wonderful to see you all yesterday. TJ you did an amazing job and I’m so thankful that you were willing to speak. We ended up raising over $71,000 and the money is still rolling in! It’s amazing. I will send you pictures and everything soon.Love you guys, <3 Sadie
Mindy says:
April 26, 2009 at 4:39 pm -
It was so wonderful to see all of you last night. It was such a successful event, and it was made even better being in Jacquie’s honor. It has been such a long time since I had seen all of you, I’m so glad we could catch up. Tj- your speech was wonderful. It truly showed everyone what Jacquie was all about, what she meant to those around her, and the impact that she has had on all of us. All of us together raised over $70,000 last night all in the fight against this awful disease, and we were all fighting for you! Always remember how many people you have fighting with you, you’re never alone!! With much love, thoughts, and prayers,<3 Mindy
Anonymous says:
April 26, 2009 at 11:06 am -
Miss you Jax! You are forever with us, and you let us know that in so many ways! 😉
Sadie says:
April 24, 2009 at 9:28 pm -
Hello…So tomorrow is the Relay for Life in Geneseo. While I’m very excited for the event – excited to see all of you, excited that almost 1,000 people are signed up, and excited they will all be fighting cancer all night – I can’t help but also feel sad and angry that Jacquie won’t be there. Last year Jacquie called me on the day of Relay and we chatted for a while. She wanted to wish me luck which once again showed me her absolute selflessness. She was hoping that she could get to the NYU Relay that night but she wasn’t sure because she was feeling kind of crappy. We caught up with how things were going at Hope Lodge and how you were doing Sharon. We also talked about how this year was going to be so much different. How she would be at Relay this year to be our “Celebrate” Speaker. I don’t even understand why it happened that she cannot be there to speak and that instead TJ will be speaking about her… I already knew what I was going to say to introduce her as our speaker. How I would say she was the most amazing girl I’ve known, so strong and so brave and so concerned for everyone around her… I was going to say that this girl walked through hell and she found the strength to walk out of it. I wanted so badly to introduce her this year… to walk with her and laugh with her and celebrate with her… I can’t express how much I wish this were the case. Instead I will be walking with you tomorrow and grieving with you tomorrow – you must feel like you are walking through hell now and I want you to know that all of the extended Jacquie family will walk with you and help you keep walking. Jax did not lose her fight – not at all. She passed it on to us and we will fight for her forever. I will see you all tomorrow. I love you. <3 Sadie
Mindy says:
April 24, 2009 at 7:20 pm -
Sharon,I haven’t written in a while, but you are constantly in my thoughts. I check the website often and pray that you are doing well. I am, along with many many others am attending relay for life tomorrow here at Geneseo. When people ask me why i relay, I always tell them all about Jacquie. It is going to be a difficult night, but everyone will be there supporting each other! Its going to be a fantastic event to raise money to fight this awful disease. I hope so see you there.Keep your chin up and remember how proud everyone, especially Jacquie, is of all of you. This foundation and what it represents is truly amazing and is inspiring to so many. I send you all my love and thoughts. <3 Mindy
Shannon’s family says:
April 24, 2009 at 2:29 pm -
Dear Hirsch family, Not a day goes by that we do not think of Jacquie. Shannon still wears the braclet in Jacquie’s memory and is extremely protective of the “tink” blanket Jacquie made for her at Roswell. Shannon recently had a clean chest CT at Roswell and continues to grow stronger every day. She also has a photo of Jacquie on the cover of her special photo album which is filled with only her best friends. With much love and care, The Colligan family
Huer says:
April 24, 2009 at 9:54 am -
Good Morning!! I am so excited that tickets are on sale! I can’t wait to buy mine! On my website for the Philadelphia Triathlon with Team in Training that I am doing in Memory of Jacquie and my Mom, a women donated to me and wrote the following, which is a quote from a book: “What I Leave Behind: I hope my achievements in life shall be these – that I will have fought for what was right and fair, that I will have risked for that which mattered, that I will have given help to those who were in need… that I will have left the earth a better place for what I’ve done and who I’ve been.”” Jacquie fullfilled all of those achievements! She really has left the earth a better place and I am amazed by her everyday. Love you and Happy Belated Bday TJ…I hope you had a good day (and maybe a drink or two). xoxox Ashley
Amanda Cavarella says:
April 23, 2009 at 6:54 pm -
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TJ!! I hope you have a great day, you have the most beautiful angel. Thinking of you all everyday. Always believing, Amanda