SMTM - SANDRA - MAKUS - SANDRI - Jaime Trujillo

During the early springtime this year (before Sandra passed away) I would wake early in the morning and spend an hour or so before going to the office thinking, meditating, and writing.  Most of my thoughts and words were about my precious daughter, Sandra.  What follows are those streams of thought.  

It was around 5:30 am, I was on call at the hospital (those arduous on-calls).  Ilene calls, comes and picks me up and off to the hospital we go, our baby is ready to be born! 

After a long labor, the Obstetrician is determined that the baby was to be born normally in spite of a breech delivery.    Sandra was born through an emergency C-section, upon the insistence of the anesthesiologist.  While the surgery was performed, I was waiting outside the OR and was observing through a window (it was a rainy cloudy usual Cleveland, Ohio day).  My inner emotions surfaced through incontenible tears.  At 4:30 pm, I can see through the nursery glass this beautiful baby girl that was just brought from the delivery room.  Little Sandra is full of energy; her long legs moving up in the air.  

Time passes, Sandri grows and grows – I cannot remember as well as I wish I could.  I blame that on working all the time during my training.  Ilene always consoled me by telling me that I was the best Father in the world.  

Sandra was always a very active child – did I say active? She would play in our little apartment, banging pots on the floor and making all sorts of noise.  The neighbor on the 16th floor below complains about the noise!!!  Through a little diplomacy we console the neighbor. Sandra is the star of the building.  She is the only child in the complex of two large 18 floor buildings that did not accept children. We are allowed to stay in the apartment because Sandra was born while we resided in the apartment.  Ilene gives Sandra the experience of getting in contact with nature by sitting her on a patch of lawn 12x18 in front of this monstrous building.  

We have to move!!!! Our 2nd baby is on the way.  Aliana is born!! Sandra is so excited with her new baby sister.  She shares with her Aliana everything.  That happiness and love lasts for a lifetime.  Sandra teaches Ali, instructs her and adores hers.  Later on in life they are roommates in Chapel Hill.  Sandri is definitely the HOUSE MOTHER!!!! 

Sandra grows and grows.  She loves school and thrives – winning the hearts and minds of all those around her.  

The girls show and interest in horses (or maybe Ilene did – I am not sure who’s interest came first).  Sandra rides with such determination – that same determination that has characterized her life.  At age 15 Sandra decided that she needed to push herself a little harder – she attended the Outward Bound course in Maine – she thrives!!!!  She completes the three week grueling – lonely course.  College time comes and Sandra is accepted to many universities.  After all, Sandra was a finalist for the coveted Morehead Scholarship at UNC.  Upon interview Sandra sticks to her guns for National Health Insurance – she has a major discussion with one of the interviewers.  This was long before Hilary began to break ground.  It did not go well for Sandra either – she was eliminated from the next round.  After this Sandra committed to Dartmouth University – in her heart, after spending a summer in California, she knows that she should have accepted Berkeley. After staking out the Dean’s office she convinces Berkeley to take her – they agree. Off to Berkeley Sandra goes!!! 

In what would a girl that loves the outdoors and nature major?

She would major in Forestry.  Sandra excels at Berkeley and at graduation she gets the honor of carrying her school flag.  We are all so proud!!!!! Sandra takes a job with Weyerhaeuser in eastern NC – she gives it her all.  Later on Sandra decides to combine career in Forestry and MBA and applies to the Keenan Flagler School at Chapel Hill.  The best decision Sandra ever made – she meets there the love of her life, her knight and the most wonderful man in the entire history of the world, HERNAN. 

Sandra and Hernan were married – a civil wedding in Las Vegas.  Where else could it be?  Sandra has always been the most unusual, unique and fun person.  She has always had surprises of either leaving a sweet note under one’s pillow or announcing that she would like to map a trail somewhere between the US and Canada (this was at age 17). 

Both Sandra’s and Hernan’s weddings in Las Vegas and Buenos Aires were so much fun.  Two weeks after the Las Vegas wedding we get the news – Breast Cancer.  Sandra then puts her determination and tenacity to test – and along with Hernan they began the adventure.  We all go for the treatments together – a special team.  We sometimes receive good news and sometimes not so good news.  Sandra and Hernan put on their best faces, with all their courage and optimism.  We all have the best time of our lives mixed with happiness, uncertainty and fear – WE FINALLY MEET THE FEAR.  And now, we are trying to be at peace – searching for mechanisms to cope; for things to compensate, as if the vacuum that Sandra will leave, could ever be filled.   

But, Sandra’s spirit is as big as the vacuum and that spirit will fill it.  Sandra was always ubiquitous.  All her life, everyday she is everywhere, multitasking.  She has been physically or spiritually in the entire galaxy and beyond.  We will all spend our lives tracking her, having the surprises and fun that she has always given us.