It was a sad weekend, and everything that could possibly be said about Inge was already said on social media, in an outpouring of immense grief and disbelief.
She just celebrated her 49th birthday. A strong, independent woman with a solid career and a passionate calling as an animal advocate/crusader.
As Director of Banquet & Event Sales at Divi & Tamarijn Aruba Beach Resorts she helped orchestrate our finest hours, with many memorable Aruba weddings unfolding like clockwork, effortlessly executed in umpteen locations, by her dedicated crew at the hotels.
In her private life she was the savior, the angel, rushing to the rescue of all Cunucu pups and kittens, 24/7, treating the unwanted and discarded like gold.
If you didn’t get married under Inge’s spell, you adopted a bundle of furry joy, and more than often, both.
We held a small memorial last evening on the beach at Boca Catalina. Aruba’s animal rescue foundations, friends, and colleagues tossed some flowers into the waves at sunset. It was Inge’s favorite Sunday Happy Hour spot.
This is what I know: Inge concluded the Tito’s Putts for Paws Golf Tournament at Divi Links successfully, on October 26th, she was tired but pleased with the results, the money raised for St Pepper’s Friends, https://www.sgtpeppersfriends.com/ would allow the work at the shelter to go on.
The following day, the tell-tale blue bruises appeared on her skin, friends rushed her to the emergency room, from there she was flown to a hospital at Cali Colombia with the immediate diagnoses of ALL, Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia
Seven week later she was gone.
ALL is a rapidly progressing form of leukemia: Wikipedia: Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow — the spongy tissue inside bones where blood cells are made. The word “acute” in acute lymphocytic leukemia comes from the fact that the disease progresses rapidly and creates immature blood cells, rather than mature ones.
And you should also know that the symptoms can be easily brushed away, disregarded as menopause, or just a general malaise: Feeling tired, weak, dizzy or lightheaded, shortness of breath, pale skin, infections that don’t go away or keep coming back, bruises (or small red or purple spots) on the skin, bleeding, such as frequent or severe nosebleeds, bleeding gums, or heavy menstrual bleeding in women.
And while most symptoms exhibited, because of Inge’s sunshiny disposition, her family doctor must have explained them away. If Inge said she was fine, that was good enough.
ALL takes over swiftly, and wipes out all platelets, the body’s repair material, but there are clear signs ahead of time that trouble is brewing, signs that are easy to disrespect, and neglect.
I would love to ask that family doctor if a patient is pale and hemorrhaging, why he didn’t demand a blood test.
All my female friends agree, Women Health Issues are not seriously taken on the island, and we can tell a million stories about that.
