Antonia Chalmers

This morning, at about 2 o' clock, my half-sister, Antonia Marie Chalmers, died after a long, long fight with Hughes' Syndrome. Peacefully, in her sleep. She was originally diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis because the two ailments are so similar and I beg anyone who has been diagnosed with this dreadful thing to please get tested for Hughes' Syndrome as it can be identified with a simple blood test and is easily curable if noted early on.

Please visit http://www.hughes-syndrome.org/ and raise awareness about this disease.

Three years ago she was as compis mentis as you or I, but as things wore on, she lost the ability to think clearly, walk, talk, until eventually she couldn't even recognise her own family. It was unbearable to witness, but now I'm glad she's at peace and maybe in Heaven she'll be able to walk and see her father again.

Toni was a lovely woman, and one of the most humane and empathetic people I'll ever know. She was always talented too, she had perfect pitch and I remember that guitarists could tune their instruments to her voice. It makes me feel bitter that the doctors wouldn't listen to us when we claimed she had Hughes' Syndrome and stuck to their diagnosis like politicians defending their decision to send hundreds of troops to their death. Even when we pointed out that she had memory loss which is highly indicative of Hughes' Syndrome and not MS. Maybe she could have been saved, and maybe she could not have. It all seems oddly irrelvant now.

With all my love, I hope she has gone to a better place and I will never forget her.

Antonia Marie Chalmers, may she rest in peace: (3/9/75 - 13/8/05)

In NationStates-related news, the issue code has been sent to admin for installation, and I hope you all enjoy it very much. I may not be around for some time.