This blog all pertains to this interview we recently had .. please watch if you haven’t.
4 years too late for her.
There is more weight to those words than any others in the entire interview for me.. Because I am human..
because I am her mom.
and its all 4 years too late for her. ..
4 years too late.
That’s because I am her mom.. and I struggle to not see things through those lens. But if I step back. And I remember my little girl I know also.
she will wait forever
she will fight forever..
Because that’s who she was.. and by donating her tumor.. By raising money to fight DIPG.. we are still letting that be who she IS.
She did not lose her battle.. because she is still fighting.
I often get caught up in a vicious spiral.. wondering who she would be. What she would be like now had she been able to live. It haunts me and can eat away at me.. But seeing this interview.. the impact those mischievous brown eyes and perfect little smile still has.. Maybe I have been looking at it all wrong.
Maybe I need to be looking at who she actually is today. Because she has grown. She has changed. To be a solid and reliable little girl. To be impactful and powerful.
We’ve done that Tony.
By giving her to broken body to Dr Monje.. we allowed new life to be breathed into her.
And you.. anybody who has supported our family and this foundation along the way.. You helped her grow into what.. into WHO she is now.
They say it takes a village .. and now. In this case it is so very true. For my little girl it takes one heck of a village . And so many people have showed up.
thank you.
She was a nuturer and a caretaker from such an early age.. It came to her naturally more like instinct than anything else. . Jennifer would pick up a crying younger sibling and sing to them.. care for them. She wasn’t always the best at standing up for herself.. but she did for those around her.. in subtly impactful ways.. Jennifer was the little girl who would walk up to the child alone and bring them in to play with her and whomever she was with. .. which was usually a group of kids.
i love her expression of joy looking on as Jonathan opened a present ..
Because she was also a leader.. a protector and simply, purely, good.
I think those cells of hers growing in the lab are doing just that.. silently yet powerfully protecting those yet to be diagnosed.. The children and their families. Those cells of her are making a difference and making her sparkle known.
I am so proud of you sissy miss
for the girl you were
and the one you are..
atta girl Jennifer Lynn..
atta girl
..until there is a cure..
❤️
Oh my gosh, this is amazing! So bittersweet. If it wasn’t for your willingness to fight for Jennifer even after her passing, none of this would have happened. You are stronger than you know Libby Kranz.
She is beautiful and powerful.
She is brilliant and perfect.
She IS…and always will be.
So proud of your sweet Jennifer. She is a force of positive change for the world. Her name was spoken yesterday, is spoken today, and will be spoken tomorrow.
It makes me sick to the stomach that she had to die for advancement. It makes me furious that you had to bury her in order for real and true steps could be made in cancer treatment. I know it could have been any kid. My kid. But it wasn’t. It was Jennifer. And that pisses me off.
I don’t feel pride because I know it was her. And you. And Tony. And Dr. Monje and team. But I feel a sense of awe. A sense of wonderment. I feel a calmness and urgency at the same time. She’s amazing. You’re amazing. And it’s an honor to know the Kranz family story. I can’t wait for the next chapter.
Libby,
I’m always praying for you.
Hi Libby,
Just wanted to let you know I’m still thinking about you. When Elayna died a couple weeks ago I thought her and Jennifer are going to play together for sure. I see a lot of fluttering going on. Boy look at those two making a huge difference!
Crystal