Remembering Nora

I am not sure I have told many people, but I have been taking the Hospice Volunteer Training course.


Last night we watched a remarkable story about a remarkable woman. Nora Lenihan. She allowed cameras to follow her through her battle with breast cancer.  She was 32 when she first was diagnosed and went into remission, she lost her mother to the same disease when she was 37 and shortly after was told hers returned and spread, she died at 39.  The Boston Globe did an article about her as well.  The documentary that followed her for 299 days of life.  She had roots in RI and lived for many years in Boston. The Boston Globe article was June 23,1996.

Today is the anniversary of her death. The instructor didn't realize that when she planned the class and while we were discussing the documentary we were treated with the most beautiful sunset we had seen since we started classes weeks ago.

As all deaths go, I do not want her illness to define her but the way she lived.

Something she spoke of that really got to me was, knowing that she was dying took away her blissful ignorance.  She said we as humans get up everyday and plan the day, the week, the month, the years to come, without ever thinking it may be our last day. We are blissfully ignorant. 

Periodically the narrator would say, today is day 165, Nora does not know how much time she has left. 

She met and lost over 15 women who were in her support groups, it was also repeated throughout the movie by her friends that she was more alive than she had ever been in this part of her journey.  It was just an amazing story. 


I am so grateful to have been able to see it.  I cannot find a copy for the life of me. I would love to replace my instructors VHS tape with a DVD, she shows it every training session.

I think when I started writing this entry this morning I was going somewhere in sharing this, but now it seems I cannot remember and perhaps it is better because today I just want to share Nora's name and say she was remarkable.

I am guessing this seems like a really depressing post.  To some it may be and to some it may drudge up many other things and for that I apologize.

I guess I just wanted to share her courage and story with you all and send hugs to her family.  I wish I could find a copy of her story online.  If I do I will add it later.