Kristen, Our Angel

Kristen Lea Douglas (KD) was born in Oregon, Ohio on Thursday, November 28th, 1985 to Donia Lea Steele Douglas and Gerald James Douglas. Born on the worst snow day of the year, Thanksgiving Day. Every second of the pain of labor was worth the beautiful healthy baby girl born to us.  Such a wonderful baby, sleeping through the nights by six weeks of age, crawling by six months of age, and then there was no stopping our little ball of fire, she was up and walking at the age of ten  months. As we watched her grow, year by year we were saddend that "Our Baby Girl" was growing up.  The first day of pre-school was the worst.  I will never forget her clinging onto my skirt not wanting me to leave, crying as I left her at daycare, then she didn't want to come home!  She loved school and made friends so easily. Wearing her party dresses and shoes, everyday was a new adventure for her. Graduation from kindergarden soon came, and we were watching her get her diploma wearing her little cap and gown, such proud parents we were watching our little angel mature into a little person. First day of first grade, the bus ride, and meeting new friends was her biggest fears, but I followed behind her bus making sure that she made it safely to the school, and walked her to her class.  Tears were flowing not from her, but from Mom as I couldn't find it in my heart to leave her there, and to watch her grow up was tearing me apart, but we survived! School days becoming challenging as she was proved to be a "gifted child". She was a Brownie, a Girl Scout, in a tumbling class, then came soccer.  She was very leary to play the game, but soon found out that her friend Charlotte was playing, and soccer then became her life.  She ate, slept and breathed soccer.  Playing outdoor travel and indoor soccer, she was a mean, lean fighting machine, number 28 defender, Kristen Douglas. Kristen tried out Basketball, it was fun, but not as fun as soccer, we think it wasn't fun because she couldn't slam anyone around. She made so many friends that stayed close to her throughout the years. Amy, Nick, Charlotte, Danny, Marina, Emily, and her cousins that she adopted as her sibblings, Darrek and Erika Kay. Always kids at the Douglas house to either stay the night, swim, party, or just hang out. The teen years hit very hard, she started showing changes in her lifestyle and her friends started changing. We then moved to Bloomington, Illinois, this was devistating to her. Leaving everything and everyone behind, away we moved to the middle of the corn, away from the city life, away from everything.  She seemed to adjust to the new school and made friends very easily, but soon became a "leader".  Making her friends do whatever she wanted to do, this was not always a bad thing, but then again we should ask her friends. She made the adjustment, like any teenager, rebelion was her strongest asset. Diagnosed with Diabetes, Type I in November of 2002, Kristen was in total denial.  She didn't want the pain, she didn't want the maintenance, she didn't want the disease. Always wanting to help and aid people and animals, Kristen made the decision to become a Nurse, her Junior year at Normal Community West High School she made one of the biggest achievments that a teenager could make, she became a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA).  We were so proud of her. Soon she bought her own car, made the deal herself , and home came a Honda Civic, maroon to fit her favorite color. She was working as a home health care worker, caring for two ladies, and loved her job.  She didn't seem to find very much time for her social life, but her great friends Jason, Jeff and many many more always seemed to find time for hanging out. Whatever happened on that dreadful day of December 3rd, 2003 will always be a mystery to us.  A happy carefree girl, loving, free spirit, with her whole life in front of her, left us hopefully for a much better life without pain. Life will not go on the same way without Kristen. If it were the same, we could only conclude her life meant nothing, made no contribution. The fact that she left behind a place that cannot be filled is a high tribute to the uniqueness of her sole. We will love and miss her until we are together again.

We will always love you, KD!

Love, Mom & Dad   

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