I laid in bed with her and held her hand for majority of that day. She looked very peaceful as she slept.
Then everything happened so quickly. Within less than 10 minutes. Suddenly we noticed an irregular breathing pattern. I called the nurse as quickly as possible. She said that this was normal for this stage and it is a sign of declining. And slowly, she took her last breath. Peacefully. Asleep in bed in the first bedroom she grew up in. Surrounded by family. All in the room with her. Most of which were holding her hand as she slipped away. The crazy thing is that afterward, she looked as if she had a little smile on her face. My whole family was shocked.
It was the most peaceful way someone could possibly go. No pain. No agony. Just love. What more could you ask for in a situation like this?
I don’t want all of you to remember this as a sad story about a girl with cancer. I want you to remember this girl as someone who lived the craziest, most fulfilling, and exciting life I’ve ever seen. She has always lived life with a sense of no tomorrow her whole life. Even way before the cancer. She was happy, carefree, and fun loving. Her energy was vibrant and she had a magnetic personality. And anybody that has ever met her knows this to be true.
This is a story of a survivor. Someone who was told she may only have a year to live in 2015. Who beat stage 4 Glioblastoma 3x. Glioblastoma is the most aggressive form of brain cancer today. Only 3% of GBM patients live past 5 years. Maki is someone who beat the statistics by 97%.
You all know I love my sister more than anything in this world, but you see, it wasn’t just me who loved her this way. It wasn’t just me who took care of her. It was my whole family. It was a collective effort. And it was all of you. Your love, your prayers, your messages, and comments. I read them to her until the very end. Messages from Austria, Singapore, Switzerland. She knows how loved she was. And your prayers allowed this to be the smoothest transition ever.
Remember her as the legend that she is. And let her legacy live on.
Going forward, I don’t live my life just for myself. Everything I do is also for the love of my life. And today, and everyday, we celebrate her.
With all death, there is always periods of grief, sadness, and maybe even regret. And my message to you is to feel all those emotions but don’t get caught up on any of them. If there is any regret or “wish I could have done,” just make sure that you do it going forward for everybody else you ever meet. Even strangers. That’s what she would have wanted.
My sister is our Angel now.
August 27, 1985 – February 10, 2023
P.S. Maki wanted to have a celebration of life, full of colors, rather than a traditional funeral. I will be planning this in the coming weeks and will make an announcement once the details are finalized. I know a lot of you have asked how you can help or be apart of it. I have started a Go Fund Me which I will use the proceeds to honor her.
Please see: Go Fund Me for more information on memorials and Celebration Of Life
