Sarah Wildman

It comes with, obviously, hair loss. It can come with all sorts of indignities. It must be so hard to watch as a parent. It was brutal because she really tried to live each moment in such an enormous way. She really, really loved living. And she would try to make life different in the hospital. I mean, she... made every single nurse do TikTok dances with her.

It comes with, obviously, hair loss. It can come with all sorts of indignities. It must be so hard to watch as a parent. It was brutal because she really tried to live each moment in such an enormous way. She really, really loved living. And she would try to make life different in the hospital. I mean, she... made every single nurse do TikTok dances with her.

She would make the music therapist sing Lizzo and Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift. And she would play Taylor Swift and Lizzo in every operating room. And she had many, many surgeries. She would force people again and again to see her not as a patient, but as a person. And to see that she wasn't able to do that as much as she would have liked outside of the hospital. For example, she loved acting.

She would make the music therapist sing Lizzo and Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift. And she would play Taylor Swift and Lizzo in every operating room. And she had many, many surgeries. She would force people again and again to see her not as a patient, but as a person. And to see that she wasn't able to do that as much as she would have liked outside of the hospital. For example, she loved acting.

She would make the music therapist sing Lizzo and Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift. And she would play Taylor Swift and Lizzo in every operating room. And she had many, many surgeries. She would force people again and again to see her not as a patient, but as a person. And to see that she wasn't able to do that as much as she would have liked outside of the hospital. For example, she loved acting.

In the fall of 2022, she'd already had two brain surgeries, and she won a lead in Twelfth Night. And I have videos of her practicing for the part. But by late fall, she felt too tired to go to rehearsal. And it's these indignities as well, to not get these small pieces of joy that are really easy to take for granted, and to not be able to give her that. I wanted to give her everything.

In the fall of 2022, she'd already had two brain surgeries, and she won a lead in Twelfth Night. And I have videos of her practicing for the part. But by late fall, she felt too tired to go to rehearsal. And it's these indignities as well, to not get these small pieces of joy that are really easy to take for granted, and to not be able to give her that. I wanted to give her everything.

In the fall of 2022, she'd already had two brain surgeries, and she won a lead in Twelfth Night. And I have videos of her practicing for the part. But by late fall, she felt too tired to go to rehearsal. And it's these indignities as well, to not get these small pieces of joy that are really easy to take for granted, and to not be able to give her that. I wanted to give her everything.

I wanted to buy her time.

I wanted to buy her time.

I wanted to buy her time.

So I'm going to back up to before hospice on that one. When Orly first presented with a brain tumor in June of 2022, it was after a week of vomiting and terrible headaches. And her oncologist pulled me into the room and was really upset and said, it's her brain. We had just gotten a scan. And then she led me back to Orly's room and she walked away.

So I'm going to back up to before hospice on that one. When Orly first presented with a brain tumor in June of 2022, it was after a week of vomiting and terrible headaches. And her oncologist pulled me into the room and was really upset and said, it's her brain. We had just gotten a scan. And then she led me back to Orly's room and she walked away.

So I'm going to back up to before hospice on that one. When Orly first presented with a brain tumor in June of 2022, it was after a week of vomiting and terrible headaches. And her oncologist pulled me into the room and was really upset and said, it's her brain. We had just gotten a scan. And then she led me back to Orly's room and she walked away.

And I said, aren't you going to come and tell me with her? And the doctor came in with me and said, Orly, it's your brain. And Orly said, so I'm going to die. And the doctor said, you're so mature. And I was shaking. I would have these sort of physiological responses to really extreme moments where even if I was extremely calm and I was always really calm for her sake.

And I said, aren't you going to come and tell me with her? And the doctor came in with me and said, Orly, it's your brain. And Orly said, so I'm going to die. And the doctor said, you're so mature. And I was shaking. I would have these sort of physiological responses to really extreme moments where even if I was extremely calm and I was always really calm for her sake.

And I said, aren't you going to come and tell me with her? And the doctor came in with me and said, Orly, it's your brain. And Orly said, so I'm going to die. And the doctor said, you're so mature. And I was shaking. I would have these sort of physiological responses to really extreme moments where even if I was extremely calm and I was always really calm for her sake.

And in fact, very early on, she had asked me not to cry in front of her. And so I really didn't for a very long time. But sometimes I couldn't control shaking. And she was upset with me later that I didn't contradict her, that I didn't say, no, that's not true. We're going to be okay. I really didn't know in that moment what to do.

And in fact, very early on, she had asked me not to cry in front of her. And so I really didn't for a very long time. But sometimes I couldn't control shaking. And she was upset with me later that I didn't contradict her, that I didn't say, no, that's not true. We're going to be okay. I really didn't know in that moment what to do.

And in fact, very early on, she had asked me not to cry in front of her. And so I really didn't for a very long time. But sometimes I couldn't control shaking. And she was upset with me later that I didn't contradict her, that I didn't say, no, that's not true. We're going to be okay. I really didn't know in that moment what to do.