I is for...

In loving memory of Kathryn Michelle Kennedy!

1 year ago today at 12 in the morning I was sitting in the Warren East auditorium awaiting for Harry Potter and the Order Of The Pheonix to come on the big screen. I was thrilled! I had waited for days for it to come out and it was the midnight showing. I remember that night like it was yesterday, because little did I know that my best friend in the whole world was going through so much pain at the same time.

My best friend, Katie, was living the college life. She was working at the Air Force Base and just hanging out since it was the summer time. She would stay up late and sleep in! She had just gotten a new dog not too long before this night. She loved Riley very much! A few days before the premier of Harry Potter I had asked Katie if she wanted to go with me. A lot of us were going to dinner and then to see Harry Potter later that night and I wanted to Katie to come along. She had told me that she didn't feel too well and really just wanted to stay at home. So, Katie decided that she would do her laundry that night. Around 1 A.M. on July 11th,2007 she walked downstairs to switch out her laundry when all of a sudden she couldn't catch her breath. She didn't know what was going on. So she walked upstairs and woke up her mom, since her mom was a nurse. Her mom rushed her to the hospital which was only a couple blocks away. Katie walked in and was responding to the doctor very well. The doctor looked at her and checked her vital signs and everything turned out right. So the doctor told her to just lay down on this bed and we will check a few more things so you can get on back to your beauty sleep. Katie laid down...and her heart stopped. It was tragic. They did surgeries after surgeries to try and bring her back. Nothing worked. She was pronounced dead sometime that night, I'm not sure the exact time.

After, I had left the Harry Potter premier I went home and didn't think anything of it. I found my pillow and went off to sleep. I had no idea that such a tragedy was happening at the same time. The next morning I awoke in time to attend my 8 o' clock class. I had a test first thing in Psychology and then after my test we had a break before we came back for a lecture. During the break, I was feeling pretty good until I checked my voicemail. My best friend Chris had called me and left a message, 'Myra, call me it's about Katie' I honestly didn't know what to think. I had no idea anything was going on. I called Chris and when he told me what happened I didn't believe him. I said, 'Stop joking around Chris!' He wasn't. He was really sad.

The funeral was on the 14th of July. It was a very nice service. They had lots of pictures and it was really hard to be there. It really hadn't hit me until I saw the casket. I about died...I was just heartbroken. I couldn't believe that my best friend for so long was gone. Still today, I sometimes feel like she will just come back one day because I don't want it to be real. At her funeral, there was so many people. We all wore pink in remembrance of her! That was her favorite color!

Today, I just want to ask for everyone's prayers for me, Katie's family, and all of Katie's friends. This is a very hard day for me to get through and I know that Katie is up there watching over me right now. So if all of you could just stop...take a minute..and remember my best friend Katie. She will always be with me! I love you Katie and I really miss you!

Thanks for your prayers!

In Loving Memory of Kathryn Michelle 'Katie' Kennedy!