 Coley
died in the loving arms of her parents, David and Ann, after a
two-year battle with an aggressive cancer known as
rhabdomyosarcoma (alveolar, stage 4). To be in her presence was
truly an unforgettable experience. She had the amazing ability
to make everyone feel special. With her captivatingly blue eyes,
Coley would look deeply inside the hearts of everyone she met.
Depsite the many strong chemotherapy drugs and maximum dose
radiation treatments, Coley managed to keep a very active
lifestyle. She never missed a game of Ring-Around-The-Rosie
or Duck, Duck Goose. Coley got great enjoyment from
watching movies, especially the Wizard of Oz. She sang
a repertoire of children's songs that provided endless hours of
entertainment to her family and friends. Her favorite was the "I
Love You" song from the Barney the Dinosaur PBS series.
An excerpt from Ann Petrucci's (Coley's mom) on-line journal posted on CaringBridge.com: Sunday, September 19, 2004
Take care, |
On
a recent trip to Disney World granted by the Make-A-Wish
Foundation, Coley struck up a special friendship with a dog
named, Pluto. She loved playing dollhouse with her sister,
Taylor. Coley never forgot to get an extra lollipop or sticker
for her sister after her many trips to the doctor's office.
Coley was blessed most recently with a new baby brother who she
loved to make smile by tickling his chin. She has a special pink
blankie that was always with her. She loved all animals,
especially her dog, Jake, and her kitty, Slyde. She greatly
enjoyed many trips to Storyland and Santa's Village. Her parents
celebrated each day of Coley's life and managed to always find
the "silver lining". No stone was left unturned in searching for
a cure for Coley. She will be remembered most especially for her
great desire to live. Coley passed away on March 5, 2003. She
was 3 years old. 
It
has now been eighteen months since we lost our beautiful little
girl. It has taken me a long time before I could even update
this journal. Derek will be two years old in November and
Coley's big sister, Taylor, will be six. It's been a long
difficult road, but we are trying to keep busy and go on because
of them. We will never forget Coley's wonderful outlook on life.
She noticed everything and everyone. She saw through the bad and
always found the good. 
I
will share a quirky little story with you. When we went to
Disney World with Make A Wish (one week before Coley died),
there was a witch-like character looking to take pictures with
children and sign autographs. Next to her was a beautiful
princess-like character. Well, everyone swarmed around the
beautiful princess while no one would go near the witch even
though she had open, welcoming arms. Coley, after briefly
looking over the situation, went right over to that witch and
gave her a great big hug. I really believe that Coley saw right
through that outer appearance and just saw how no one was giving
her a chance because of the way she looked. Granted, I know the
children were probably just scared, but I really think that
Coley just had a way about her to make everyone she met feel
good. 
Coley
had a difficult struggle with this disease, but she always had a
smile on her face. We and anyone who ever knew her are the
luckiest people in the world. I want to let everyone know about
the Memorial Playground that we are building in memory of Coley.
It will be located at Fisher Elementary School in Walpole, MA.