Not long after I started blogging, I got a regular reader and frequent commenter from across the pond, named Emma.
Emma blogged, as The Mad Asthmatic. She was charming, and sunny, even though afflicted with asthma so vicious it let her housebound most of the time. I enjoyed seeing her frequent comments, and clicked through to her blog every now and then to see how she was doing.
Well, I learned today through the comments on Random Acts of Reality, that Emma died on January 17th at her home. She dialed 999, apparently suffering from yet another asthma attack, but by the time the EMTs arrived, she was already gone. Gone too, is her blog.
Not quite sure how I feel about that, other than to believe that the skies are a bit dimmer over London after her passing.
Rest well, Emma. Breathe deeply of the clean air, now that you can.
We become protective of our chronic patients who have life threatening exacerbations. We want to be able to protect them. Sometimes nobody can.Rest in peace.
A strange cultural change is that when a blogger dies, it is noticed more internationally than locally; neighbors may not realize that someone is gone from their midst, but people who never met the blogger and live thousands of miles away mourn.
I remember thinking about that a while back. If anything, God forbid, ever happened to me, would the people I’ve developed relationships with- but never met- find out?
That’s something I’ve often wondered about – if something were to happen to me, how would anyone ever know?I’ve been on bulletin boards since the late 1990s. I’ve seen more than a dozen people that I came to consider friends pass away.I mourned some of them more than family members.
Well said AD!Its amazing how much we feel we become meshed with everyone out there in blogger world!I am sorry for your loss (and everyone else’s) but like you said she is at last able to breathe freely and is at peace at last!
It’s a marvel that we are able to connect with folk the world over and be some peripheral part of each others’ lives through the unlikely advent of the internet. I know that like me, Emma must have enjoyed many a laugh and a few tears reading your blog. Bless Emma, and bless you for giving her a better reason to gasp for breath, occasionally.
RIP Emma, RIP. Having been around since the BBS days, it is an interesting culture when you loose a “virtual” friend. Having seen a few go by the wayside, it is both sad and troubling that when we DO find out via the net, it is usually too late. I do know of one case however, where all the male and female attendants at a wedding were from that particular car forum (the wedding was held at a national meet). It was the first time many of us had ever met…
I feel your sadness AD-I met a good friend playing an online game who as he put it ignored the fact he was diabetic far too long. He suffers a lot because of that daily. Everytime he doesnt check in for an extended period which happens when he gets broke or gets bogged down doing free lance computer work to pay his bills I worry that I might not get to shoot BS with him ever again.
Rest in Peace, Emma.
Eternal rest grant unto Emma, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon her. May they rest in peace.Amen.
As a person in general, this is so sad.As the parent of a seasonally asthmatic child, this is scarier than hell.The loss is still profound, no matter whether you knew this woman personally or not.May Emma rest peacefully.
Hello AD,Very good point. We all wonder whether, if we die, most of the people we know remotely will find out – or care.The comment said that Emma died of a heart attack. Do you have reason to believe it was actually her asthma?Cheers,Jeff Deutsch
You’re right, Jeff. I missed the part where it said heart attack.Whether it was precipitated by her asthma or not, I don’t know.