What makes a hero?

This is Peggy. She is my cousin. I have been wanting to share Peggy's story with you, but it still makes me cry, just thinking about it. Any of you who know me, know I have overactive tear ducts anyway, but this is a genuine tear-jerker. Peggy is the daughter of my Dad's favorite cousin, Iris, from the Dutch side of the family who settled in Canada. I can understand why he was so fond of Iris. She is a wonderful person and I love her dearly too. While I've never met Peggy, I have, over the years, heard quite a bit about her from Iris, and knew that if she was even half as wonderful as her mom, she had to be pretty special. Well, I had no idea just how special. A few months ago, I learned something else about Peggy. She has tremendous courage. She has become one of my heroes and that is not a category I put people in lightly.

Peggy, her husband and 17 year old son were leaving a restaurant, just about to get in their car and drive home. Another car, speeding, jumped the curb and plowed right into Peggy, narrowly missing her son. Peggy was pinned to the car and badly hurt. She lost both her legs. Iris, broken hearted, phoned to tell me about it and wept. I could feel her anguish and my heart broke with hers. What a horrible thing to have happened. I can only imagine how I would have felt if this had happened to one of my children. Better it would happen to me than to them. Peggy has faced this challenge with courage and determination and as you can see from the photo, she is winning the battle and learning to walk again!

Now what I do when I am upset is make quilts. Oh, all right, when I'm NOT upset, I made quilts! MUST MAKE QUILTS!!! It's very theraputic to chop up fabric and sew it back together again in a pleasing design. When Iris phoned, I was just putting the finishing touches on this quilt.



I packed it up and mailed it to Peggy. It was a hug made from fabric, to wrap around her and know that, even though we haven't met, I care about her and wish her well. It made ME feel better to do something, other than say "I'm sorry about what happened to you." Sometimes words feel so inadequate.

Here she is at Christmas with her family.
Iris is the one on the left, Peggy in the middle (with the quilt behind her!) and Iris's other daughter, Barb, on the right.

Here is Peggy with the rest of the family.


Front Row: Rebecca, Shannon and Stefan (Peggy's children)

Middle Row: Iris, Peggy, Barb

Back Row: Kristen (Barb and Rob’s daughter), Dennis (Peggy's husband), Shawn (Barb and Rob’s son), Rob (Barb’s husband) (left to right)

She has a lot of support, many family members and friends who love her. If you live in Nipowan and know Peggy, you are indeed blessed.

So what makes a hero? There are many definitions, but for this one...and this time.....it is someone, who, when faced with a situation beyond her control--doesn't give up. It is someone who faces a trial with courage and strength, determined to get through it, one way or another--to conquer it, and come out the other side, a better person for it. That is a hero. That is Peggy.