Tremember being at my grandma’s house with man other friends and family waiting to hear the news because my family did not want me at the hospital because they thought that I was too young to understand what was happening. Even though was only six years old I noticed that everyone was sad and crying over Brittani, but I did not grasp the fact that she was never coming back. On March 20th the whole family got together to celebrate Brittani’s 14th birthday only to feel such grief that she was not there to enjoy it with us.
Losing a loved one and watching my family grieve of a family member who died in an accident so unexpectedly has taught me that you may never know the last time you might see someone of the last words you might ever say to them before they are gone. It was a normal day and my mom was at work when my aunt Jody called her to tell her what had happened to Brittani. She explained to my mom that Brittani was at a Columbus Blue Jackets hockey game with her dad Dave, who she stayed with on the weekends. Her dad got her tickets as an early 14th birthday present. “Brittani is on her way to Columbus Children’s Hospital!
She need stiches, and it having seizures” she frantically said to my mom. “She was hit with a hockey puck at the game with Dave” she explained to my mom. Brittani and her father Dave were sitting behind the goal when Columbus Blue Jacket play Espen Knutsen blocked a shot by the opposing team sending the frozen puck traveling over 70 miles per hour over the 8 foot plexus glass straight to Brittani sitting in seat 100 section 121. I remember my mom coming home unusually early from work. She barged in the door and started to explain to my grandma who was watching us at the time what was happening.
I could tell that my mom was freaking out because her voice was trembling as she told my grandma what was happening. Being a curious child I asked my mom what was wrong. “Mommy what’s the matter? ” | asked curiously. She looked at me but could not say anything because she did not know how to tell a 6 year old what was happening at the time. My grandma and my mom continued to have a conversation about Brittani. “I know something is really wrong with her, she’s having multiple seizures” she explained to my grandma. I did not know what a seizure was, but I knew Brittani was hurt.
I can think back on many memories of times when Brittani, Kristina, who was Brittani’s younger sister, Rylee my younger sister, and I would all play together when Brittani and Kristina would babysit my sister and I while my parents were all at work. Sometimes, we would stay at my grandma’s house and would go outside and play popcorn, and ring around the rosy on the trampoline coming back in the house with our hands and feet black from the trampoline. I also can remember when we would sit in the middle of our living room and make necklaces and bracelets for each other.
When Brittani arrived at the hospital everything was fine and the doctors said that she was recovering well. After a little while my whole family arrived at the hospital and when my grandpa walked in Brittani said “look papaw I got a souvenir” as she was referring to the puck that struck her across the head that they took with her when she was escorted to the ambulance to show the doctors. After everyone came to the hospital the doctors told everyone that she was fine and not to worry so everyone went back home.
I remember my mom coming home and telling me that Brittani was going to be fine and that she would be home in a few days. As a 6 year old I just thought to myself that everything was going to be fine and never thought that I would never see Brittani again. On March 17th the phone rang while we were all in bed. I remember waking up and my mom answering the phone half asleep to my aunt who was hysterically crying and telling her that Brittani was having awful seizures and complaining of a headache. “Debbie you need to get here! I do not know what is wrong with her” exclaimed my aunt. I’ll be there as soon as I can” My mom told her. Then she began running around the house trying to find clothes and hurry out the door. My dad stayed at home with my baby sister and me because he had to be at work by 6am the next morning.
The doctors ran a CAT scan on Brittani only to find out that when her snapped backwards after the impact of the puck that it caused a tear in her vertebral artery in the back of her head, the main artery that supplies blood to the brain. The doctors came out to tell my aunt and uncle what they had found on the CAT scan. I am so sorry but there is nothing that we can do for Brittani at this point. If we were to perform surgery to relieve the pressure it would cause more damage than there already is” the doctors explained to my aunt and uncle who were crying and could not bear the news of their daughter. Later that night on March 17th Brittani slipped into a coma because the swelling in the back of her brain was so severe. Brittani Nichole Cecil passed away in a coma March 18th, 2002 just two days before her 14th birthday. A few years pass by and I now could understand that Brittani was dead.
Brittani was my favorite person to play with when I was younger and it finally made sense that she was never coming back. I know felt empathy for people who have ever lost a loved one because I know felt the pain and the emptiness of someone. As time went on the family was finally starting to deal with losing a daughter, sister, niece, cousin, and granddaughter. On Brittani’s 22nd birthday the Columbus Dispatch newspaper did a story on Brittani for the anniversary. My family met at the arena and got to see the seat she was sitting in when the accident happened.
Also, Espen Knutsen the Swedish hockey player who hit the puck met my family, and had explained to them that he felt so bad after the accident that he retired from professional hockey. He also told them that he was now a professional coach in Norway. My family does not blame Espen for what happened. We understand that he was just doing what he was supposed to. As time passes on our family gets together on every holiday occasion and says a prayer and we each set off a pink and purple balloons which were her favorite colors in honor of her.
It is hard knowing that when all of us granddaughters take pictures together at the holidays knowing that there is one special person missing from the pictures. My family has many pictures of the three granddaughters that are still left, and always right beside them are pictures of Brittani. At every family gathering you can still feel the grief in the air even after fourteen years of her being gone. This whole experience has brought a lot of respect from me to other families who have lost a loved one because I know what it feels like to have someone that is never going to come back.
I also have empathy for children who are going through the same experiencing because I was once the child who did not know what was going on around me and always wondering where that special someone was. I have learned that anyone can be gone in the blink of an eye and you never know what the last words, or memories you may have of them will be. I have also learned to cherish the time you have with someone because it could be the last time you are with them. Since I was little while this was happening I watched how my family grieved and dealt with the situation.
From watching them I have learned how to have strength and get through hard times together with the support of others. From our family traditions of releasing the balloons have learned to honor someone and how to keep their spirt alive within the family. Since Brittani passes away at the age of 14 I have learned to be grateful for the life that I have been given and to cherish things in my life that Brittani never got to do.
I have grateful to be able to get my driver’s license and make the varsity soccer team all things I know Brittani would have oved to have been able to do. Something that I learned from Brittani herself was from her mission statement that she wrote for her 8th grade English class was “To begin every day with a smile! To be responsible and respectful in any way I can. To achieve my goals and become the best person I can be”. I have learned from this profound piece of writing from her to work hard and to be dedicated in every situation life throws at me. I have also learned to be kind and respectful person from her.