Adios, Sue, Farewell, Lucia

Clubby-dom has lost two very special members over the past few months - Sue Tourle, of Bournemouth, UK, and Lucia Almeida, of Brazil. Both were strong advocates for better recognition of clubby needs through better disability rights and broader medical research and treatment options. And both made every effort to reach out to other clubbys, to share their own life stories, their humor and most of all, their compassion for others. Both have also made many contributions to this blog, and for that among all other reasons, I am grateful to have known them, despite never meeting in person.

Their loss has made me realize that the Web has extended our own personal boundaries across the entire planet, has made us neighbors in a sense that was not possible just ten years ago. That so many clubbies have now come to meet others like themselves, often for the first time realizing they are not alone with their suffering and their struggles, and having a completely new idea of who they are in this world because of this realization. Sue and Lucia, by extending themselves so much to other clubbies, made it so much easier for others to do the same. That is how a community grows, like virtual pot-lucks, virtual quilting bee's. We share our lives, and grow closer in the process.

That is why it hurts so much when we lose a member of our community. It took us so long to find each other, and then, too suddenly, we are asked to let them go.

Peace to them both, to their families, and peace to clubbies, everywhere.