Dr. Susan Holloway McFadden

I found out today in an email from the veterinary school that a classmate of mine passed away October 1st, at the age of 38. Susan Holloway was married our fourth year to her steady boyfriend, Tom. They were dating and after Susan was diagnosed our fourth year in clinics with an astrocytoma in her brain Tom proposed and they were married our fourth year. I knew then and there he must be a good man. For better or worse, right?

I was in shell shock for her our last year of vet school. After all this hard work and three years of gruesome classes Susan began having terrible headaches. After she went thru tests to show she had a brain tumor she held her head high and came back to finish her fourth year!!!! She went thru several rounds of chemotherapy and radiation. She walked across that stage just as I had, but she did it all by the grace of God. Susan was a believer, she was a fellow Christian.

Chris and I were fortunate enough to run into her at a CE meeting in Louisville, KY two years ago exactly. October 3rd to be exact was when she and I had lunch together at the meeting. It was so good seeing her and re-connecting with her. She wore a navy colored bandanna on her head and in talking with her she had just gone thru another surgery on a completely different type of brain tumor and had finished her radiation. She was amazing to see!! Her strength, stamina, and overall pleasant attitude about it all. She was never mad or asking why me in any of our conversations that weekend. You know what we talked about? Our kids. I had just had Claire three months prior to that meeting and I believe Susan had a fairly newborn son as well. She talked about Ian and Morgan that Saturday and she invited me to a huge fall craft fair in downtown Louisville. We drove there and I really enjoyed talking and shopping with her. She and I laughed because we couldn't find our car at the end of the afternoon. We kept walking down streets to find it. Susan is from Louisville and kept apologizing because she said her memory wasn't what it should be with all the surgery she had had. I didn't have an excuse so we laughed it up!! I truly had a wonderful time. That would be the last time I got to speak to her. Life happens and you lose touch with others.

So, to dedicate this post to you now Susan. I know you were a strong Christian sister, wife, mother, and friend. I know I will see you again in heaven. I know that I will take time to pray for your husband Tom tonight and your two small little boys that are without their mother. I know that I will hug my children tighter tonight because of you. For we never know when it could be the last time. Thank you for your sweet spirit and for letting me reflect on the most important things in this life: my family.

Until I see you again my friend,

God Bless