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S. Davenport: Surviving Daughter

My dad was a very fit man who used to walk his dogs every day. He did not smoke.

I am the daughter of a wonderful man whose death has been a tragedy to all his family and friends. My father died from cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis and for the last two years of his life he suffered very badly with this disease. I am sure everybody who has experienced anyone's death by this disease will know exactly what I mean when I say it broke our hearts to see a man who has worked all his life, a father of five and a husband to a wonderful woman, die from such a cruel disease for which there is no cure.

I am just glad we were all there with him to hold his hand when it was time for him to leave us. I also lost an uncle in the February before my dad died, to the same disease. Seeing the pain in my dad's face when we told him about his brother will be another pain I will never forget. I think from that day my dad must have known his fate although he never said anything to me.

One of the things we are trying to come to terms with is the fact that in the end my dad knew he was dying. Neither I nor any of my family members will ever come to terms with the fact that my dad is not here with us any more and we will certainly never forget the pain in which he died. I am trying to learn as much as I can now about the disease and where it comes from just to educate myself and anybody else who may want to listen or who may need my help one day.

My dad was a very fit man who used to walk his dogs every day. He did not smoke. When he was dying it was his heart that kept him going for three agonizing days until the strain was too much for him.

I have enclosed my E-mail address for anybody who has any information on any organizations that I can talk to or if anybody has any information they can share with me it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for reading my short story.

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ISN Artist: Judy Tarro

Judy Tarro, ISN Artist, created the digital photo to illustrate the story on this page.

ISN Story Editor: Judith Thompson Devlin

Judith Thompson Devlin is the ISN Story Editor for this story. She is also lead editor of the ISN's wonderful Voices of Scleroderma book series!

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