Celeste Park

Celeste came to live with us her senior year in high school. Her best friend from Idaho had moved to Arvada several months before. It was announced in church that they were looking for someone who would be willing to take Celeste into their home. Since we lived next door to her friend and because we love to enrich our lives by having people live in our home, we offered for her to live with us. At the time, Cindy, our daughter, and her husband and child were living with us. Her husband was Korean, as is Celeste. Celeste had been born in Korea. She has no memories of Korea and I thought it would be perfect for her to be able to learn more about her birth country and have the opportunity to taste Korean food as well as learn of the culture. She had a condition called Black Hairy Neva, which caused very large black moles to grow all over her body. She had been put into an orphanage by her parents. Her adoptive mom, who lived in Idaho, adopted her when she was 2 years old. During her life, Celeste has had many, many surgeries to have the moles removed and then grafts that covered those areas. She would go back to Boston, Massachusetts to the Shriner's hospital for the surgeries. It was necessary to remove as many as possible to hopefully prevent her from getting melanoma.

Celeste was living with us at the time of our house fire. I was able to help her escape from her bedroom by climbing out the window onto my shoulders and then sliding to the ground. After the fire, she lived with our bishop's family, John Soules. After graduation, she moved to Idaho with the Soules and was a nanny for them for a period of time. Eventually, she returned to Arvada. She lived with various roommates and at one time, returned to live with us for awhile again. It was great to have her back. She brought a cheerful, joyful spirit of activity and life into our home. She was rarely down or discouraged. On occasion she would cook some wonderful creation for us to try. I was never disappointed.

About three weeks ago, I learned that she was dying with cancer that was suspected to be melanoma. She has tumors all over her brain, which would account for the terrible headaches she has been experiencing over the last year. She had attributed them to a car accident the previous year. She also has a tumor in her back that is wrapped around her spinal column and around her spinal chord, which would explain the loss of feeling in her legs, which was causing her to fall. The doctors have determined that it is too far progressed for any current therapies to be of any help to her. They did give her one treatment of chemo, but then told the family they were going to stop treatment because it would not extend her life, but only make her more uncomfortable. I am grateful that I was able to fly to Denver for a week and spend some time with her. I was able to tell her how much I love her and have enjoyed our friendship. I was able to take her in my arms and kiss her sweet face. She told me the two recipes that I so enjoyed that she had made for us on various occasions. I was also able to feel of her cheerful, sweet spirit and her love for me. I am so glad I was able to do that.

Her mother and one of her sisters are at her side 24/7 right now, as she approaches the time of her passing through the veil to be reunited with our Savior. I pray that God will be merciful to her, as I know He will be. She will no longer be in pain. I know she will be grateful for that. God bless you Celeste. I look forward to continuing our friendship when I see you on the other side of the veil. I love you!