We all know that Madison had a life filled with challenges. There were things that Madison couldn’t do. She couldn’t walk. She couldn’t talk. She couldn’t do most of the things that people take for granted every day. She couldn’t go swimming in the pool with her brothers on a hot Houston day. She couldn’t chase her dogs around the flower bed in the backyard.
When most people looked at Madison, they saw and imagined the things that she couldn’t do. But for those of us who loved her, that’s not what we saw, that’s not who she was to us. Her parents, her brothers, and especially her long-time nanny, Gracie Herrera, we all knew her for who she was. Madison was a fighter. She wasn’t supposed to leave the hospital after birth... but she did. Then she wasn’t supposed to live past the age of ten, at best… but she did. And she wasn’t supposed to be able to communicate in any way, or to laugh, or to bring any sort of joy to those around her… but she most definitely did.
She did these things, and she did other things, too, better things. She taught us how to be happy, because she took pleasure in very simple things. She taught us perseverance and inner strength, because she struggled mightily with her health and physical limitations, issues that would crush many of us. She taught us awareness of the present, because not all of us are guaranteed the next day of life. But above all, she taught us gratitude. And while there are so many things in this life for which to be so extraordinarily grateful, nothing can top the gratitude of having a loving family and supportive friends.
Although Madison’s journey is now complete, the impact that she has had on us will echo throughout our own remaining years. Her suffering has ended, and we will celebrate her memory and the lessons that she has taught us. Rest easy, little one.
Madison is preceded in death by her twin sister, Megan Nicole. Madison is survived by her parents, Garrett and Denise, and by her brothers, Mitchell and Mason.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Madison’s name to United Cerebral Palsy (www.ucp.org), an organization that advances the independence, productivity, and full citizenship of people with disabilities.
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