Welcome to Meagan's corner of the World Wide Web. There are a lot of
things Meagan would want you to know about her: She liked to write,
read, sing, bike, and hang out with her friends and family.
Until February 24, 2003, Meagan's life was pretty ordinary. She did
the things she liked and liked the things she did. But on February
24 we found out that Meagan had a pontine glioma, which was an inoperable
brain tumor located on the brain stem.
On this Web site, you'll find information about Meagan's treatment,
some pieces that she has written, pictures of our family, and a space
for volunteers.
As you read these pages, keep in mind that Meagan was still Meagan.
Even though this brain tumor took a lot of attention and effort, it
didn't define who she was.
Updates on Meagan's condition were posted on the Current
Treatment page. The most recent update was posted July
5 , 2004.
The remainder of this page is organized in reverse chronological order: Things which occurred most recently are at the top.
Meagan's High School Graduation
On June 16, 2007, Meagan would have graduated from high school. Her classmates asked Jon to speak at the commencement ceremony. He was honored, but it was very difficult to deliver the speech. The outline of the speech is posted here.
Ann Arbor Walk4Kids
On March 31, 2007, thirty friends of Meagan and her family joined in the Michigan Make-a-Wish Foundation's Walk4Kids. Meagan's Team raised over $2,000--more than four times our fundraising goal. Unfortunately, Meagan's classmates were in Italy on a school trip, so the group mostly comprised friends of Emma, Julie, and Jon.
The walk was an effective way to commemorate what would have been Meagan's eighteenth birthday. We walked a bit over three miles, at one point passing the University of Michigan Medical Center. Meagan's last three days were spent in the pediatric intensive care unit of this hospital.
Library Dedication
Meagan would have had her golden birthday in 2005--she would
have turned sixteen on March sixteenth. To mark the occasion, her family,
friends, and school community dedicated
a library space at the
Steiner High School in Ann Arbor. Friends and family spoke
at the dedication, which was attended by a wide spectrum of people
who knew Meagan and miss her.
Thank yous
Many people made the library possible. It was truly a community effort.
While it's not possible to thank everyone here are a few to mention:
- Financial contributions, which
totalled over $4,000, came from dozens of people.
- Lis Knibbe, a Steiner Shool parent, donated bookshelves for the
library
- Nereida F. de Cole, mother of a Steiner School teacher, donated
money for lighting and furniture
- Sara Lambert coordinated
efforts at the Steiner School
- Nicola's
Books helped to organize book ordering and collection
development.
- Three classmates of Meagan's designed bookplates: Jane Truesdell,
Cassie Vachon, and Kaitlin Kirsch. These will be placed in each
of the books purchased in Meagan's memory.
Contributions to the
library can be made through the Rudolph
Steiner School of Ann Arbor.
Memorial Services
Meagan passed away on June 21, 2004 at age 15. Two services commemorated her passing: A burial and a memorial. See the services page
for pictures of and information about these, as well as a map to the
cemetery where Meagan's grave is located. We encourage you to visit
Meagan's grave and to follow the Jewish tradition of leaving a stone
to mark your visit.
All materials on this site copyright 2003-2005 the
Margerum-Leys family and Brian Filipiak.
