Tribute to Sabrina - Kira Ogar, Edmonton, AB.

Hi I’m Kira, Sabrina and I met in high school and were best friends for nearly 20 years. Sabrina was the first person I thought of when making plans and my person to go to when I needed someone to talk to. She’s the person I shared my secrets with, cried over heart aches and gossiped with. We’ve shared successes, failures, shenanigans, vacations, so many laughs, private nerdy jokes, and lots of wine. Sabrina knows all my stories because she lived them with me. She is truly in so many of my memories, in which I am forever grateful.

I would describe Sabrina as being strong minded, she always knew what she wanted and didn’t let others tell her what to do. She was funny, and had an infectious laugh. She cared deeply for people, especially her family and close friends. She was passionate about so many things; her husband, her daughter, her dog, her love for Fall & Christmas. She loved the mountains, baking and celebrating special moments. She loved life.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease is something I had never even heard of before Sabrina. It all started in the fall of 2017. Sabrina was having problems remembering names and small tasks. She consulted professionals however it was really nothing out of the ordinary, especially after having a child. Sabrina then started losing weight at a drastic pace. Initially, we were thrilled for her. It seemed like the hard work she was doing was really paying off. But then it seemed almost too much, and her memory was getting worse. By the Spring of the following year (2018), it was hard to have a full conversation with Sabrina. She would forget simple words, and would eventually just listen as she realized she couldn’t carry the conversation.  I remember having a serious conversation at that point with Sabrina about what was going on, and that she really needed to consult a doctor again. She then explained to me that her eyes were just so sore, and kept repeating the same thing over and over. I was scared as I knew something was wrong. Never in my wildest imagination did I think this would be it.

After being diagnosed in August of 2018 and within just months, this disease took away her memory, it then took away Sabrina’s ability to talk and really communicate in any way, her inability to walk came next and eventually she had no control of all motor skills. In the end, the disease ultimately left Sabrina unable to care for herself. We were told Sabrina only had a few months to live.

At the time of being diagnosed, Sabrina was in her early months of being pregnant with baby number two and was not expected to make it through her pregnancy. The focus for care was put on her, making sure she was comfortable during her final months. Family and friends came daily to sit with her and tell her how much she was loved. For everyone that knew Sabrina, knew how strong she was. How much she loved being a mom to Scarlett, and a wife to Brent. She loved her family more than anything and would do anything for them - and she did! I’m convinced Sabrina fought as hard as she could to make sure the baby would survive, and she made it. Sabrina successfully delivered her baby girl, Stella at 36 weeks by c-section and was able to spend 25 days with her new baby girl. She may not have been able to communicate, but we all know there was still a piece of her in there that was beaming with joy.

Everyone has a friend through each stage of life, but I was lucky enough to have that friend through so many different stages. My advice to friends and family having to go through this with someone they love, is to take the time to enjoy every last minute and cherish the fact that you get to say good bye, even if it is much too soon.