Sara Kate

Of all the people I encountered on the streets and in the shelter, Sara Kate was one of the youngest and most intelligent. She and I had a lot in common and after only six days, would become the best of friends.

This young lady of only 25 years had seen a lot of trials, tribulations and pain in her life. She started off with a silver spoon in her mouth, but now it was tarnished and covered with stains from a well-worn past.

Like many of the others I met, Sara was not here by choice but by circumstances beyond her control. She originally was from California and had traveled through Durango on her way east to Iowa to see her family. It had been many years since they last made contact, and she was now ready to put the past behind her and make a new start with them. They would be there with open arms to welcome her back and get her started once again on the right path.

Sounds like a wonderful story and I wish I could end this one there. But tragedy would come into her world and turn it completely upside down. One thing about Sara I haven't mentioned yet was the fact she was a young mother of three beautiful children: Lindsey – 5, Jacob – 3, and Baby Kyla – 6 months old.

Six years ago, Sara had everything going for her – a loving husband, a baby on the way and a new start at life. She met Kyle in Iowa through a friend and it was love at first sight. They dated for a while but realized that they were meant to be together till the end of time. They married in a little church with family in attendance and spent the night in a local hotel.

Soon after the wedding, Sara became pregnant with Lindsey and she was born nine months later right on time. Their relationship was only better after Lindsey came along and they decided to have another one. Jacob was born 18 months later and life was looking so wonderful.

This was a loving family built on a good foundation and they believed they could stand any test that was given them. Their faith in God and family would be tested soon and this would send them down a path neither thought they would ever have to travel.

Sara found out once again that she was pregnant. Although this baby was not planned and the money would be a bit tight, she and Kyle agreed that it was a gift from God and they would love it just as much as Lindsey and Jacob.

Three months into her pregnancy, Kyle started feeling very tired all of the time and it was all he could do to wake up in the morning and go to work. Sara finally convinced her husband to go and see their doctor. The news would not be good and this would be the beginning of many months of torture for both of them.

Kyle was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer that was already spreading throughout his young, strong body. Not even the massive chemotherapy and radiation made it slow down. Sara spent as much time as she could by her partner's side, but between the stress and her pregnancy, she was wearing down quickly.

Five agonizing months later, Kyle was taken in his sleep to meet his Maker. Sara sat by the bed, eight months pregnant, and held his hand as he took his final breath. She thanked God for not letting him linger and asked that He be with her and her young family as they faced this crisis together.

3 weeks to the day that Kyle passed away, Baby Kyla was brought into this world kicking and screaming. Sara named her daughter after her husband and would tell her daughter the stories of his struggle and his love for her when she was old enough to understand.

Sara had been in contact with her family through Kyle's sickness and Kyla's birth. After Kyla was born and Sara was back on her feet, her family encouraged her to come back to Iowa and start a life there. She packed up all of her belongings and he little family, hooked up the U-Haul and began the journey that would bring her into my life for six days during that hot month of September 1993.

Sara was a blessing in disguise for me as I was missing my children and needed the love of another person to show me that I was still worthy of it. I became a part of her life in those few, short days. I still wonder about her today and say a prayer for her every night hoping that God will keep her safe and in his arms.