Uncle Ralph

My uncle Ralph passed away. He's my Aunt Lee-Lee's husband. He was diagnosed with a rare form of blood vessel cancer 40 days before.

The last thing I did with my cellphone before we left the U.S. was text my Uncle Kelly to ask how Ralph was doing. No change. We had hoped to go up to Milwaukee to visit him, my aunt and my cousins before we left for South Africa, but we just couldn't do it. Zoe was supposed to be with us on the trip, but she stayed home. Thank God.

My dad told me, and it's the worst feeling to be so far from your family when all you want to do is be with them. I couldn't sleep. I just cried. I felt so guilty: how could we do anything in South Africa while I knew the whole Coppernoll family was hurting so much? But I took a new look on it. Maybe we could do all of this for him.

So this trip is for him, for Zoe and for Aunt Lee and Joshy.

I love you, Uncle Ralph. The world was better because you were here.