Michalla Beardall Funeral Video

Michalla's I'm a Mormon video

This was filmed after Michalla entered the hospital after the cancer came back.  The intent was to edit it with clips of her mission call and life and make a finalized version of I'm a Mormon that you see on mormon.org and facebook etc.  We didn't ever get around to putting that version together but here is the footage we got.

Thanks Clayboughs and Andrew for putting this together.

Michalla Videos

Michalla Beardall Funeral Details

Funeral:
   Thursday June 19th @ 12:00 (viewing from 10:00 to 11:30 am)
   Pleasant Grove East Stake Center
   825 Loader Drive
   Pleasant Grove, Utah 84062

Viewing:
   Wednesday June 18th - 6:00 to 8:00 pm
   Olpin Family Mortuary
   494 S 300 E St
   Pleasant Grove, Utah 84062
   801-785-3503

Online Obituary:
   http://www.olpinmortuary.com/obituaries/michalla-j-beardall/

'Til We Meet Again

For all who have followed this blog we are sad to tell you that Michalla finally ended her journey here on earth (and joined Trump on the other side) at 2:41 am on Sunday June 15th 2014.

Around 8:30 pm Saturday night her heart signals started to change which indicated to the doctors that we only had a few hours left with her.  Teri, Rich, Kim, Clint and I sat around her bed listening to songs and hymns, telling stories and saying goodbye. Teri gave Michalla her last 11:11 kiss Saturday night (a family tradition).

Thank you all for the amazing love and support.  The funeral is tentatively planned for Thursday, June 19th.  Details to follow on this blog.

Here are the songs we listened to in her final hours:

• a whole new world - aladin
• i see the light - tangled
• stop this train - john mayer
• time of our life - tyrone wells
• mumford and sons - come thou fount of every blessing 
• Colm Wilkinson - Bring Him Home
• Owl City - In Christ Alone (I Stand)
• I Can Only Imagine (with lyrics) - MercyMe
• mercy me - finally make it home
• Rascal Flatts-Changed
• Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing - Mormon Tabernacle Choir
• I Won't Let Go - Rascal Flatts - Lyrics
• Elders Chris Nicholes & Ben Preisendorf - If You Could Hie To Kolob/Come Thou Fount Medley
• Feels Like Home by Chantal Kreviazuk

Clint singing to Michalla

Here are some songs sung to Michalla by someone who truly and deeply loves her.  Michalla often requested that Clint play his guitar and sing to her in the hospital.  On Tuesday she asked him to bring his guitar up and sing to her in the ICU.  He went home last night and was very stressed that he hadn't done it yet. This morning he came in with his guitar and we filmed him singing some of their favorites to her:

'Overwhelmed' (Jim Mcmorris)
http://youtu.be/gW0eSmP63Qc

'Hey There Michalla' (Plain White T's)
http://youtu.be/ODZjmIRycLA

'Closer To Love' (Mat Kearney)
http://youtu.be/rqBu9KTu_FQ

'Restless Dream' (Jack's Mannequin)
http://youtu.be/C3bre4OYGfI

Clint is a legend here at the hospital.  We often hear nurses and doctors tell us what an amazing boyfriend Clint has been to Michalla.  They tell us that most boyfriends don't even stick around after a cancer diagnose and that Clint is one of the best, if not best, boyfriends they have ever seen in the cancer ward.  One nurse witnessed him fanning her for 3 hours last week because she was hot.  He has inspired us all to be better as we have watched him serve and love Michalla with such patience and persistence over the last couple years. A few days ago Clint was looking at Michalla from the end of her hospital bed and said to us all, "She is so beautiful to me".  Thank you, thank you, thank you Clint for loving Michalla like she deserves to be loved.

day she came home from the hospital after beating cancer the first time.  We thought we were done with cancer.

Clint's promise ring that they exchanged.  Hers doesn't fit on her finger anymore since her fingers are so swollen.

The veil is ever thinning

Met with the docs this morning.  Michalla's potassium level is now at 7.1. They told us that 7 is where we would probably start seeing some heart function abnormalities. However, at this point her heart and lung (with the assistance of a bi-pap) readings are normal.  Her BUN (blood urea nitrogen) level is over 220.  It was 163 yesterday.    I am dubbing this the TMN or Tender Mercy Number because the higher the BUN, the more calm and sedated she becomes.  Two or three days ago she would wince and moan at the slightest movement or touch.  Moving her from one side of the bed to the other was very painful to her even though she wasn't completely aware of what was happening.  Yesterday her pain level decreased throughout the day as her BUN/TMN steadily increased to where by the end of the day I could drop her arm from 6 inches up and she wouldn't even flinch.  The docs said this is one of the best ways to go (with a high BUN/TMN).  She won't feel or be aware of anything going forward.  They said she could go at anytime or hold on for a couple more days.

It has been very interesting watching as she slowly slips off into the next world.  Brother Cornelius (the hospital's branch president) visited us a couple days ago.  When he was here he mentioned that he read somewhere that death is like a ship sailing off and over the horizon.  From our perspective the ship is disappearing.  However, from the perspective of people on another distant shore the ship is slowly appearing.  We are crying and lamenting on our shore.  The other shore is full of ecstatic people holding welcome home signs.  Both shores watching the same ship carrying the precious cargo.

Here's a couple selfies Teri took last night.  We were all on a high from Elder Perry's visit.

 

I think it is so cute when Teri does a fake frown - or tries to do one that is :)

Authored by: Danny (Step dad)

L. Tom Perry

Justin (Megan's husband) was coming into the PICU and Sister Perry was on the phone to get into the ICU and Justin was sitting there with his head down. He heard someone say, "Hey, I like your shirt."  Justin is wearing a Utah State Aggies shirt.  Justin said Thank you and looked up and said "Hey there's a familiar face."  Justin shook his hand and asked if he was here to see family or just making the rounds.  He pointed to his wife and said I'm here for her family. Elder Perry asked who Justin who he was here seeing and he said "My sister in law, Michalla.  She doesn't have much time.  Please pray for her."

Justin comes back to the room and tells us and we all jump him and ask him why he didn't ask Elder Perry to come give Michalla a blessing. (Sorry about that Justin :) ).  Then Logan, Rich, Clint and I all leave to go and try to find him to ask him to come to our room.  We couldn't find him so Logan and I came back to the room.  Rich and Clint kept looking. Rich said a prayer and asked Heavenly Father to please send your disiciple to come see Michalla. As he pondered it he was told, "Get up and go find him."  Then he went to Clint and Clint told him they should try the waiting room. Sure enough, there they were--right in the waiting room. 

Clint and Rich told him Michalla's and Clint's story of how Michalla was about to go on a mission and got re diagnosed 3 days before her farewell and how Clint was on a mission and came home to serve Michalla.  His son was actually a mission president  in Roseville, Ca before Clint served there.  He told Clint, "You are going to be alright.  You are a strong young man."  He actually told Clint this a couple of times.  He agreed to come into the room and visit with our family once he saw the family member.

He came into the room and of course Justin was the favorite, being from Logan and being an Aggie and he chastised Logan for liking BYU.  He pointed to Justin's shirt and said, do you see that there?  Maybe you should think about it.  It's a fine school.  You should go there.  After we chatted for a minute and showed him beautiful pictures of Michalla before she got sick, Rich asked him if he would give Michalla a blessing.  

Clint had the privilege of anointing and then Clint, Justin, and Rich stood in while Elder Perry gave Michalla a blessing.  He stumbled over her name but once he started giving the blessing he voice was so powerful and commanding. It was way different than the voice he used while just talking.

He told Michalla  "Your mission is just ahead of you. A great mission awaits you. Your sweetness, your love for other people and your desire to serve in our Father Heaven's kingdom will be richly rewarded in the life you live and for the eternities to come.  We bless you with all the comfort. We bless your family that they might understand this great achievement. ( referring to Clint) This young man that loves you so much, bless him, comfort him, watch over him that he may realize that this life is such a short period in the eternities and yet the powers beyond are so great we can not even realize. I bless you with comfort and  peace. Your life will remain as long as you desire to feel the presence of those around you. 

The feeling in this room is so much lighter. (It must be..I'm back to blogging. :) ) Sorry Danny. haha  The biggest change has been in Clint. He has really been struggling so badly.  He really feels like this is Michalla's destiny.  Clint said, "Michalla always wanted to serve a mission. She thought she was going to Knoxville. She had no idea what the Lord had in store.  What the Lord has in mind is way better than Knoxville."

So, The Miracle we have been praying for isn't going to happen.  When we knew Elder Perry was coming Clint said maybe it can be like in the scriptures and the woman just had to touch the Savior's robe. We all had a little glimmer of hope Michalla was going to be healed.

Instead, Michalla has been given the miracle of being able to serve her mission on the other side. We were given the miracle of finding some peace in all of this.  Like Clint said, "It is still going to be hard when she dies but I feel a lot better. I feel some peace."

They also serve who only stand and wait

At the morning rounds with the docs it was reported that Michalla’s condition is continuing to worsen as expected.   For the last 24 hours she has been sleeping relatively calmly but with some pain.  She was much less aware yesterday than the day before.  She opened her eyes 5 or 6 times when we called her name.  She also squeezed Teri’s hand a few times during the night.  She groans in pain when we have to move her even a little bit and still is aware enough at times to be bothered when her mouth is being cleaned of drool.  The main two numbers we are focusing on are 1)  K (potassium) and 2) BUN (blood urea nitrogen).  The higher the BUN is, the less Michalla is with us cognitively.  That number is literally off the charts and still climbing.  The higher the K, the more likely her heart will start failing.  Her K was at 6.5 this morning and 5.9 twelve hours before that.  The docs say that 7 is where we will probably start seeing the effects on her heart.

Yesterday was a day of laughing, crying and accepting.  Every so often Teri says “I can’t believe this is happening”.   Rich said “this is something that happens to other people”.  We are all trying to wrap our brains around the reality of what is going on.  Emotions run the gamut.

Here are some of the goings on here in the PICU:

Logan and Meagan both said their goodbyes to Michalla one on one. First Megan, then Logan.  When Logan came out of the room someone mentioned that he should tell Michalla to lead him to a good spouse from beyond.  Logan exclaimed, “don’t worry, I told her that already”.  (He also asked her to help America to win the world cup btw J).

Kim’s (Michalla’s step mom) kids came to say goodbye as well as my kids (Danny – Michalla’s step dad).  Whitney wrote Michalla a poem and read it to her through tears.

We received over a hundred emails with stories about Michalla. Thank you all so much!  We have been reading them to her and laughing and crying (major story theme:  Michalla's mix of "sweet" and "spunky" attitude).

Michalla’s 6 year old cancer friend Lilly visited.  She couldn’t come in the room because of her cancer so she waived through the window to us from the sidewalk below.  We then went down to see her in the lobby and she gave us a guardian Angel stuffed bear to give to Michalla.  Michalla was Lilly’s hero and helped her through so many tough times like when Lilly started to lose her hair. They used to go on walks together in the cancer ward and Lilly now does the nurses nails and wears leggings just like Michalla.  Lilly was told about Michalla’s situation this morning in a family home evening.  She was sad but she took it well.  Her parents talked to her about the plan of salvation and that they will see her again.  Lilly said she wants to come to the funeral and plant a Lilly at her gravesite.  Seeing Lilly today was extremely hard on Teri.  Teri does not understand why in the big picture The Lord had to take Michalla from Lilly but she has faith there is some good reason for it.  Teri told Lilly’s mom that half of her prayers were pleading that the Lord not take Michalla from Lilly.

Around 7 or 8 last night we were sitting around Michalla and all of the sudden Teri was stricken with grief and asked that we pray.  We held hands around her bed as Rich gave a wonderful spirit filled prayer that was so sweet.  Later on Teri and Rich caressed Michalla’s face sitting on either side of the bed and told her how much they loved her and will miss her. They thanked her for being such an awesome daughter and example and just talked and cried for several minutes just having a conversation with her. It was heart breaking and beautiful.

Last night Teri slept with Michalla again and held her hand through the night.  Several times Teri whispered in her ear that is was ok to stop fighting. I woke up at 3 am and came over and rubbed Teri’s back and legs.  I was struck with the tortuous process that she is being subjected to of sleeping with and waiting for your daughter to die.

Clint slept in chair a in the corner last night.  When we were eating dinner with Clint, Teri looked at his phone and noticed his wedding countdown that is the screensaver on his phone.  He said he is so torn whether to take it off or not.

Cambri and Faith spend the evening with their grandma Vicki making cookies and helping them write down their memories of Michalla. Faith was in shock when her grandma said she could eat as many cookies as she wanted in celebration of Michalla’s life.  Cambri hasn’t been able to write down her memories because it is too hard right now.

Ps Happy Friday the 13th!

Pps Please send more memories and pics for the funeral book to teribeardall@msn.com.

Ppps Meagan is currently painting Michalla’s nails one last time.

God's Plan

Our plan:     Save Michalla
God's plan:  Bring Michalla home

We weren't really sure what God’s plan was for Michalla until we had a meeting with all of her doctors yesterday afternoon.  They basically told us that Michalla’s body and organs are shutting down and they don’t think there is anything more they can do.  The plan now (again God’s plan not ours :)) is to minimize Michalla’s pain over the next hours and days until she leaves us.  The doctors think she might be with us for another couple days, however she could pass at any time.

Yesterday her family was able to sit around her bed and spend time with her, share stories and start saying goodbye.  Michalla was calm and was able to interact and say I love you and even do her best to pose for pictures.  She even managed to send a stern glare Clint’s way when he was biting his nails (which she hates) so we know she is still with us :).  After the doctor meeting last night we took Cambri and Faith into a room and broke the news to them.  Very tough.  The branch president came over around 10:30pm and gave Rich, Teri and Clint a blessing.  Teri laid on the bed with Michalla all night.  She didn't sleep a wink.  She held her hand and talked to her and sang to her all night.

So to answer your question “What can I do to help”?  Teri is still looking for stories and pictures of Michalla.  Please send those to teribeardall@msn.com.  Thanks to everyone so much for your outpouring of love and support.

Note:  Danny (Step Dad) authored this post