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Allen Scott Prockette

February 11, 1964 - April 22, 1998

    ALLEN INSPIRED MANY PEOPLE WITH THE WONDERFUL, POSITIVE ATTITUDE THAT HE HAD. I HAVE NEVER IN MY LIFETIME MET SUCH A BRAVE AND COURAGEOUS PERSON WHO NO MATTER HOW DIFFICULT TIMES GOT, HE WAS NOT AFRAID TO GO TO EXTREME MEASURES IN ORDER TO REGAIN HIS HEALTH.

    DURING THE 5 YEARS THAT ALLEN BATTLED CANCER, HE WAS ABLE TO TOUCH THE LIVES OF THOSE ALSO BATTLING THIS HEART WRENCHING CONDITION. ALLEN STOPPED AT NOTHING WHEN IT CAME TO THIS CHALLENGE AND HE NEVER LET THIS CHALLENGE STOP HIM FROM LIVING LIFE. HIS LAST, BEST EFFORT AT A CURE WAS AN UNRELATED DONOR BONE MARROW TRANSPLANT. AFTER ONLY 2 WEEKS OF SEARCHING IN THE NATIONAL BONE MARROW REGISTRY, A PERFECT MATCH WAS FOUND. (ALLEN ALWAYS JOKED THAT HE WAS SWITCHED AT BIRTH, SO WHEN HIS DONOR WAS FOUND, WE LAUGHED AND SAID THAT HE FINALLY FOUND HIS REAL FAMILY).

    ALLEN’S BONE MARROW TRANSPLANT WAS AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT PROCEDURE TO GO THROUGH, AS IT WAS TO WATCH HIM GO THROUGH IT. THE TRANSPLANT ITSELF WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL AND THE DONOR’S BONE MARROW TOOK TO ALLEN’S BODY AND STARTED TO PRODUCE AND GROW NEW CELLS WITHIN DAYS. THE COMPLICATIONS AND INFECTIONS DUE TO THE TOXICITY OF DRUGS AND SUPPRESSED IMMUNE SYSTEM IS WHAT CAUSED ALLEN’S BODY TO BECOME VERY TIRED. ON APRIL 22, 1998, ALLEN MADE HIS VERY PEACEFUL TRANSITION INTO HEAVEN WHILE SURROUNDED BY HIS FAMILY AND CLOSE FRIENDS.

    ALLEN WAS A FIRM BELIEVER IN ORGAN TRANSPLANTATION. UP UNTIL HIS ILLNESS, HE WAS ON THE BONE MARROW REGISTRY AND REGISTERED AS AN ORGAN DONOR. HE BELIEVED THAT IT ALLOWED OTHERS A CHANCE AT LIFE. I CONTINUE TO THANK GOD EACH AND EVERY DAY FOR ALLEN’S DONOR, BECAUSE THEY UNSELFISHLY GAVE ALLEN THE GIFT OF LIFE. I DEEPLY ENCOURAGE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU TO BE TESTED AS A POTENTIAL BONE MARROW DONOR. IT IS A SIMPLE PROCEDURE FOR THE DONOR AND COULD SAVE SOMEONE’S LIFE. THE GIFT OF LIFE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT GIFT THAT YOU CAN GIVE OTHERS.

    ALLEN’S LIFE WAS FILLED WITH SO MUCH FUN AND ADVENTURE. HE KNEW HOW TO LIVE LIFE SPONTANEOUSLY AND HOW TO HAVE FUN, EVEN DURING THE LAST DAYS OF HIS LIFE HERE ON EARTH. WE CREATED A LOT OF BEAUTIFUL MEMORIES IN THAT HOSPITAL ROOM. ALLEN, THE NON-DANCER THAT HE WAS, JUMPED OUT OF BED, DURING INTENSE CHEMOTHERAPY, TO DANCE WITH ME WHILE HIS DOCTORS AND NURSES STOOD IN THE DOORWAY APPLAUDING AND LAUGHING. HE WAS A ROMANTIC, WHO COULD ADD ROMANCE TO EVEN THE DARKEST MOMENTS.

    HE TOUCHED AND INSPIRED EVERY NURSE AND DOCTOR THAT HE CAME INTO CONTACT WITH. I HAVE NEVER SEEN MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS CRY OVER THE PASSING OF A PATIENT. THEY LEARN TO DISTANT THEMSELVES EMOTIONALLY WHEN IT COMES TO PATIENTS. BUT ALLEN WAS A DIFFERENT BREED. HE HAD NURSES FIGHTING OVER WHO GOT TO TAKE CARE OF HIM. HE HARASSED THEM AND THEY GAVE IT BACK TO HIM. THAT WAS THE TRUE ALLEN SPIRIT.

    WE HAVE MET WONDERFUL MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS DURING ALLEN’S LONG BATTLE, BUT FOUR PEOPLE TOUCHED ALLEN’S LIFE SO TREMENDOUSLY BECAUSE NO MATTER HOW TOUGH THE SITUATION WAS, THEY NEVER GAVE UP ON HIM. DR. SAVONA, ROBIN GLADDIS (ALLEN’S ONCOLOGY NURSE), DR. SONG, AND DR. KAPLAN—I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR THE DIGNITY AND RESPECT THAT YOU GAVE ALLEN. YOU GUIDED HIM THROUGH THE TOUGHEST TIME IN HIS LIFE AND HE CONSIDERED YOU MORE LIKE HIS FAMILY THAN ANYTHING ELSE.

    ALLEN WAS THE MOST CARING AND UNSELFISH PERSON THAT I EVER KNEW. HE WAS CONSTANTLY WORRYING ABOUT OTHERS AND MOST OFTEN PUT OTHERS BEFORE HIMSELF. HE ALWAYS CARED ABOUT GIVING TO OTHERS, EVEN IF IT MEANT THAT HE HAD TO GO WITHOUT.

    TO OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY, I WANT TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT I LOVE EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU AND I KNOW THAT ALLEN IS HERE WITH US TODAY RADIATING THE SAME FEELINGS. YOU WERE WHAT KEPT US GOING. AS MUCH AS OUR LIVES INSPIRED YOU, YOU ARE WHAT INSPIRED US. THANK YOU AND MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU WITH WONDERFUL MEMORIES AND LIVES.

Kimberly A. Prockette

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A few of the things about Allen when he was a baby and a little boy

    There are so many stories I could tell about my Son Allen, but I think I will start with when he was just a toddler and we lived on Summer Street in Hudson. Allen was always a lovable baby and was always doing something to make us laugh. When he was a baby he and I used to watch Soupy Sales while I fed him, maybe that is where he got his wonderful sense of humor. For those of you who don't know Soupy Sales he had this friend call white fang and when he came on the TV Allen would just laugh and laugh.

    When Allen was around two he came down with pneumonia and had his first hospital stay. He was in the hospital for around a week and a half. Everyday, sometimes twice a day his father and I would go visit him. His Father would look for a little toy that he thought Allen might enjoy. Allen would play with the toy while we were there but as soon as we said we had to leave he would put it down and put his little arms up with his hands opening and closing to show that he wanted us to take him home with us. As we were walking out the door the toy would come flying after us.

    When he was around three we had a dog named Blackie. We lived in MA so it was cold in the winter time. The kids all had the stocking hats with the long extensions on them. I would put Allen in the yard to play and of course the dog was with him. All of a sudden he would be screaming and when I looked out the dog had the hat off Allen's head and was running around with it. I would go out get the hat and put it back on Allen's head. The next time I looked out Allen had the end of the hat in both hands and was teasing the dog with it. It was a funny site to see they both playing with each other.

    Around this same time my Daughter had a couple of small birds which were in the cage most of the time but every so often they would get out. On one of these occasions, and I still don't know how he did it, but Allen go one of them and put it inside of his stocking had. He was standing there in the middle of the floor swinging the hat around. When I ask him what he was doing he said "I'm giving the birdie a ride." By the time I got the poor bird out of the hat it was already a goner and Allen felt really bad because he thought the bird would really enjoy the ride.

    We also had a Siamese cat around this same time. Of course having five children we also had to have dogs, cats and birds. One day Allen decided he was going to take the cat on a little trip. He was walking around with a small cosmetic case and when I asked him what he was doing he came back with the answer that he was taking the cat for a little walk. By the time I got the cat out of the case the inside was ripped to shreds and the cat almost had a heart attack. He wasn't trying to hurt the poor little thing he just wanted to take it on a trip.

Love and miss you tons,

Mom

Allen Scott Prockette