RIP, @Valdary

[ellenmillion]

Valerie Higgins has been a part of my projects since 2006. She was a member of Portrait Adoption, the Fantasy Art Shop, and helped with the brainstorming for EMG-Zine. She was one of my earliest recruits for Torn World, and is a wonderful artist and poet. More than that, she had heart. She was usually the first person to post at the forums after natural disasters, sending out hopes that none of of our members were hurt or missing. She always had a warm comment and a helpful suggestion. She was key in keeping our Torn World twitter lively - I actually dread having to update it myself, because I'm constantly forgetting the right hashtags, and which day it is (for Follow Friday and Writer Wednesday) and... because the Twitter feed was so very much her own, and I am going to feel that hole in my chest where she was every time I update it.

She let me know that she had cervical cancer early in 2008, and apologized every time she had to be absent from the forums because of radiation or other medical reasons. Her kidneys were in bad shape, and she told us stories about how much she had to drink, and failed stents and frank, funny, heart-warming stories about the hospice she spent time in, and the various indignities of being ill. She even wrote columns for her hospice. When her doctors were unable to give her a positive prognosis, she took it in stride, and contacted me in a matter-of-fact way, making sure that we were all square in the business department, and that I would continue to leave her artwork available and pay her son any proceeds from it.

She was unbelievably strong and full of common sense in the face of pain and hardship, and remained loving and generous through everything. I will miss her and mourn her.

Her last story was in the Torn World queue, and I have posted it today. It had already been approved and was waiting for the timeline to catch up, but it doesn't actively spoil any of the other stories, and... it may be of some comfort to the people who loved her.

Comments

[marina-bonomi.livejournal.com]

I saw you tweet and ...well I'm speechless.

I've no doubt she is in a way better place, may her loved ones find peace and confort.

[mebird.livejournal.com]

Ohmygosh Ellen, I had no idea.. I'm so sorry to hear, saddened and shocked! My condolences to her family and friends! :,( :( She was always such a nice positive person! :(

[jenny_evergreen]

I didn't know her, but I'm so sorry to hear about this. *hug*

[kelkyag]

Oh, dear. I will miss her.

What would the appropriate way to send sympathies to her son be?

[paradigm-clutch.livejournal.com]

Condolences.

[minor-architect.livejournal.com]

I heard about Valerie's illness just a few months ago and now, to hear about her death so soon afterward...words fail me.

[mizkit.livejournal.com]

Aww. I'm very sorry to hear it. *hugs*

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

Oh, no! I did not see it coming that fast. I only knew her by her Torn World Work, but even that was enough to get a sense of her as an excellent person. I will toast her tonight.

[jenny heidewald (from livejournal.com)]

I don't remember hearing that she was sick, so I was shocked when I heard. I knew her mostly through Portrait Adoption EMG-zine and the forums. She was a lovely person, and it is a sadder world without her. Condolences to her son, family and friends.

[dulcinbradbury.livejournal.com]

I am sorry Ellen. :(

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry for the loss of your friend. *hugs*

[melissad.livejournal.com]

This is so terribly sad. My thoughts are with Valerie and her family.

[kerstitch.livejournal.com]

My condolences on the loss of your friend. She sounds like a wonderful woman.

[pixiewildflower.livejournal.com]

I am so sorry hon.

Alas!

[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

Thank you for letting us know. I will really miss her; she was one of my regular prompters in the Poetry Fishbowl and often commented on my LJ. I have written a post about her passing, which includes an elegy poem:
http://ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com/1465229.html

[xjenavivex.livejournal.com]

This is hard news to learn. Thank you so much. I considered her a very good and most talented friend. ::hugs you tight::

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

The whole time I knew her (online only, but still) I knew she was supposed to have already died of her cancer, and yet she was a bright, kind, friendly presence, and so very alive.

I'm glad she had so much borrowed time, and I will miss her.

[curvature.livejournal.com]

I don't know how I missed this post.

I'm so sorry that you've lost your friend. I don't think I ever 'met' her, but reading what you wrote about her I feel like I've missed out on meeting someone really special :(

I hope you're ok