Remembering Erica - Another Thank You

The Lipman/Lopez families would like to extend a great big thank you to all who supported Erica’s fight against melanoma through your responses to the blog, your emails and cards, your visits to her home, hospital rooms and Hospice, and the attendance of about 400 people at the Memorial Service celebrating her life. We are gratified to know what a huge impact Erica had on all of you.

We hope that you will continue to check her blog, read her inspiring messages, and look at her beautiful smile. As mentioned before, we plan to hold additional celebrations of her life down the road and will post information on the blog. There are many wonderful ideas including soccer tournaments, walks/runs, and more which we know Erica would enjoy.

Again, thank you for your thoughts, prayers, love and support during this past year and especially now as we grieve and celebrate Erica's life.

The Lipman/Lopez Gang

Memorial Service Part 2 - Parking and Bright Colors

Erica mentioned at our grandmother's memorial service that she did not understand why people wore black to these things: it is a celebration of life. Please feel free to wear fun colors to celebrate Erica's life on Sunday (as many of you know, blue was her favorite color!).

***Please join our families for a reception following the service at the church.

***Child care services will be available during the service and reception at the church.

Parking:
***If possible, please carpool!

***Handicap parking is available on either side of the church.

Otherwise, please park in one of the following lots available:

Arlington Chapter of the Red Cross
The Red Cross is right next to the church, off of N. Trenton St.
4333 Arlington Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22203

Arlington Masonic Temple
The Masonic Temple is across Arlington Boulevard from the church on George Mason Drive
1 S. George Mason Drive
Arlington, VA 22204

Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington
The Uniterian Church is across from the Masonic Temple on George Mason and Arlington Boulevard
4444 Arlington Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22204

The Lipman/Lopez Gang

Memorial Service - Sunday, April 13, 2008

A Memorial Service will be held Sunday, April 13, 2008 for Erica, please see details below. We are also planning a Celebration of Life for Erica down the road, so please keep an eye out for information if you are unable to attend the Memorial Service. If you are unable to attend the service, but would like to send a message to be read during the service, please send it to Erica's email and mark in the subject line "To be read at Memorial Service".

What: Memorial Service for Erica Joyce Lopez
When: Sunday, April 13, 2008
Time: 1:30 PM
Where: Bethel United Church of Christ
4347 Arlington Blvd
Arlington, VA 22203

Parking is available at the Red Cross next to Bethel or at the Masonic Temple on George Mason Drive. We will post additional information on parking later this week.

In lieu of flowers, Erica and her family request donations be sent to any of the following charities in her memory:

Melanoma International Foundation
250 Mapleflower Road
Glenmoore, PA 19343
Checks payable to Melanoma International Foundation (MIF)
Non-profit certificate #29498
Or you can make an online donation at www.melanomainternational.org.

Melanoma Research Foundation
170 Township Line Road, Building B
Hillsborough, NJ 08844
Checks payable to the Melanoma Research Foundation (MRF).
EIN # 76-0514428
You can also go online to make a donation at www.melanoma.org.

Capital Hospice
Attn: Development Office
6565 Arlington Blvd, Suite 500
Falls Church, VA 22042
Checks payable to Capital Hospice
Please go online for additional information at www.capitalhospice.org.

The Final Lap and some Thank Yous

This afternoon, Erica ran her final marathon lap while surrounded by family and friends. We would like to share some thank yous.

First, thank you Erica. Thank you for your tremendous goodness. Thank you for your sweetness, your gentleness, and your passion. Thank you for your willpower, endurance, and that great competitive fire. Thank you for flashing that bright beautiful smile and your simple, honest approach to life. Thank you most for your commitment to your family, your friends, and above all, Christian.

Second, thank you to this tremendous community who loved, cheered, laughed, cried, prayed, held, hugged, cared, supported, called, visited, took care of the garden, wrote cards, mailed letters and care packages, stopped by with meals and groceries, and otherwise transformed Erica's fight with melanoma into this community's fight with melanoma. Thank you fighting with us.

Please check back here for information about a Memorial Service and Celebration of Life.

Erica, Christian and the rest of the Lipman/Lopez Gang

Capital Hospice

As per the last posting, Erica and Christian decided to enlist Hospice home care to help Erica with her pain management. In speaking with the nurse, it was decided to admit Erica to Capital Hospice Inpatient Unit in Arlington on Wednesday for pain management.

The nurses at the inpatient unit have worked to control her pain and make her comfortable, however her condition is declining from the cancer. We continually talk to her and we know she is listening, however she is unable to speak back to us.

As always, we ask that you keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

The Lipman/Lopez Gang

Palm Sunday Pictures

Please look for new pictures from Palm Sunday weekend, just about 4 weekends ago with family and friends.

Journey Continuing

Erica finished her second treatment of anti CTLA4 and is home resting. She does tire easily, but her spirits are great. As per her last blog, one of the main issues is managing her pain. With her oncologist and clinical trial doctors in Baltimore, she decided to contact Capital Hospice home care to help ensure her pain management is controlled. A nurse will stop by the house a couple of days a week to make sure she can get her medicines on time and make sure she is comfortable throughout the day.



She continues to be committed to the clinical trial and her positive attitude which is an inspiration to all of us!



Your thoughts and prayers are doing wonders for Erica and the rest of her family and we ask that you continue those hourly, daily, and weekly!



Love,

The Lipman/Lopez Gang