Re: Rita Gormley

[DWiris@aol.com]

I am so sorry to hear this news. The iris world will greatly miss Rita. She 
 did so much to promote irises. My condolences to Tom and family.
 
Dorothy Willott
 
 
In a message dated 11/16/2010 6:36:08 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
keisling@swbell.net writes:

This is  a very difficult message for me to write.

Many of you are aware  that
Rita Gormley had a massive stroke early Saturday 
morning. Tom was  not ready
to have something posted until he knew for sure the 
extent of  the damage and
prognosis.

However, because so many have been asking  about her and wondering
what was going 
on, I just talked with Tom and  he has asked me to share this
information with 
all of you.

For  those of you who were at the Fall Board
meeting in Portland, you know that  
Rita was there and feeling just fine.  At
the meeting she was  awarded the 
Distinguished Service Medal (appropriately
so) and was most  appreciative of 
receiving this honor.  Tom said she was fine
when  she got home and throughout 
last Friday night; there was no signs of  a
problem prior to the stroke; it just 
happened without warning about 1  am on
Saturday morning.

The MRI done Sunday showed irreversible  damage to Rita's
right brain with no 
hope of recovery.  Up until  yesterday she was in ICU  on
a ventilator and being 
tube  fed.  


Last night she was moved to the Hospice
wing of the  hospital; the feeding tube 
has been removed as has  the
ventilator.  She is breathing on her own, but has 
not, and is  not likely, to
regain consciousness.  


Tom said that she is  comfortable and being very well
cared for.  They put a gown 
on her  that has tiny siamese kittens on it
(wouldn't that have made her  smile!)  
At this point, it is a just a matter of
time until the  end.

Their 3 children are with Tom and he said that they are
all  holding up as well 
as could be expected under the  circumstances.

Please
keep Rita and the Gormley family in your  thoughts and prayers as they go
through this difficult and heartbreaking  time.

Judy  Keisling

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