Karen & Judy Rasmussen: June 1st, 11am update
Karen seems to be recovering well since her surgery. Thankfully, she has returned from the surgical recovery floor at the hospital to a room on the 5th floor’s rehabilitation wing. She has already begun rehabilitation sessions again. We have been noticing increased movement in her left foot and greater alertness these days. However, sadly there has been a development in Karen’s life that may have a significant impact on her recovery in the coming days. We are hopeful that the impact is only temporary to her recovery progress, but are aware this will be a very difficult time for her.As most of you have known, Judy Rasmussen has been battling lung cancer for over four years. Unfortunately, Judy lost that battle earlier this week. Karen was informed of her mother’s passing Wednesday morning and took it as well as could be expected. She seems to have understood it all, and is obviously very sad about it. Hopefully, with the help of friends, family, and the wonderful people at Mount Vernon Hospital she will come through this difficult time without any major setbacks.
The Rasmussen family has made funeral arrangements with Everly Wheatley Funeral Home in Alexandria (1500 West Braddock Rd, Alexandria; Ph 703-998-9200; click here for web link, click here for map). There will be a viewing Thursday evening at the funeral home from 5-8pm.
The memorial service will be held at the Belvoir Chapel (enter Tulley Gate from Rt 1 and proceed on Pohick Rd; special note: permanent ID required) on the Ft. Belvoir Base just south of Alexandria on Friday morning at 11am (click here for Ft. Belvoir web link and general directions). I have attached a map and instructions to the Chapel (click here for "pdf" version - approx 2.5MB or click here for the "jpg" version - approx 1.2 MB; see below for "text" instructions).
The family has asked that in lieu of flowers a donation be made to Karen’s Medical Fund (see sidebar to the right for information) in memory of Judy. Karen will be attending the funeral services along with Ken, her brother Eric and myself. We are hopeful that all of you who are interested will be able to attend as well. There will be snacks and beverages available at the chapel immediately following the service, however Karen will be returning to the hospital once the service has concluded.
We apologize to many of you who are just finding out about this, but we hesitated to spread the news of Judy’s passing until we were able to safely inform Karen about it. We did not want Karen to find out about it from anyone but Ken. We also wanted to consult with Karen’s doctors to ensure there were no negative effects in Karen’s condition if we didn’t do it right.
If I may, I’d like to take a moment to express my condolences to Ken, Eric, and the rest of Judy’s family and friends. In the last two months I have gotten to know both Ken and Judy quite well as a result of the many hours we have spent together watching over Karen. Like the rest of us, Judy was devastated by what had happened to her lovely daughter. Possibly even more so, given her own unique circumstances. Judy’s main concern quickly became Karen’s welfare not necessarily her own, ensuring Karen receives the very best care available, and that she recovers fully from her injury. I know she truly wanted to see Karen through to victory. Unfortunately, she won’t be here to see it, but she can rest knowing that Karen is in good hands, and has many friends and family like all of you who have helped, and will continue to help us in the weeks, months, and years ahead. Judy will surely be missed by all of us. But, I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to get to know her better in the last two month. If only it had been under much happier circumstances.
Text Directions to Belvoir Chapel: To gain access to the base, you must enter the Tulley Gate from Route 1. This entrance is located across the street from the Hess gas station. Once you have entered the base, proceed on Pohick Rd. This will bring you all the way to the Belvoir Chapel. The Chapel will be on your left hand side at the intersection of Belvoir Rd. Also, as of June 1st, visitors can proceed directly to the vehicle search area. While in the vehicle search area, visitors will be required to produce a permanent form of identification, such as a driver's license, DoD identification card, or Common Access Card, before proceeding on to the installation.
posted by Karen's Blog @ Thursday, June 01, 2006
2 Comments:
Karen, Ken, Eric and Paul, my heart goes out to you all. I'm so sorry to hear of Judy's passing. You're in my prayers.
I hope Karen continues to improve following her surgery. I know Judy is watching over her and will still be there (although in spirit) to see her daughter on to victory.
God bless you all.
Karen, Ken, Eric, and Paul,
Please accept my deepest sympathies as you go through this time of grief. You are all in my prayers. May your Faith bring you comfort and peace.
God bless,
Amanda
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