This memorial website was created in the loving memory of our precious baby girl, Amanda Jo Blankenship who was born on Sunday, September 9, 1990 (Grandparents day) and left us on Tuesday, January 22, 1991 to go home to be with our Heavenly Father and our Lord & Savior, Jesus. Amanda Jo was truly a gift from God & we enjoyed every minute we had with her the short time she was here. She is now walking with Jesus up in Heaven!!! May God give all of us peace & comfort & replace our sorrows with joy! She is with him in Heaven free from all sickenss, pain, disease, and death so let's rejoice with her new life!!!
Happy Birthday to Amanda's Grandpa Dennis on Jan 17th Amanda's 16th Angel Day on Jan. 22nd. Miss you both very much!!!!!!
Amanda was such a blessing to everyone. Her smile warmed everyone's heart. She was Samantha's special buddy. Sami enjoyed holding her bottle while she fed her & LOVED telling everyone about her. She was always hugging & kissing Amanda!!!
We are so very thankful to God that we had her the short time that she was here on earth. We were truly blessed to have her in our lives!!!! On the night she left us, 3 people saw a shooting star. Now every time we see a shooting star we think of Amanda! ;o) We even put a star on her headstone in remembrance of the falling stars everyone saw!!!!
To read more about her & why she died, see the legacy section. And for more information & graphics gifts & special poems & drawings please visit the timeline section.
There is an ancient belief that each entrance of a child in heaven is marked by a falling star... Did you see Amanda's star?
~POEM ON HER HEADSTONE~ Little Angels When God calls little children to dwell with Him above, We mortals sometimes question the wisdom of His love. For no heartache compares with the death of one small child, Who does so much to make our world seem wonderful & mild. Perhaps God tires of calling The aged to his fold, So He picks a rosebud before it can grow old. God knows how much we need them, and so He takes but a few To make the land of Heaven more beautiful to view. Believing this is difficult still somehow we must try, The saddest word mankind knows will always be "Goodbye". So when a little child departs, we who are left behind Must realize God loves children, Angels are hard to find. Our special angel "Amanda Jo" Safe in Jesus arms.
My sister is sick, my Mom knows it Rushing to the hospital Nothing's wrong Nothing's wrong they said We had no worries Days later at our daycare, My sister was not breathing... Men rushing in, They pushed on her tiny chest, Puffed into her small mouth... Now she sleeps in the clouds.
This poem is in memory of: Amanda Jo Blankenship
My Mom Is A Survivor My Mom is a survivor, or so I've heard it said. But I can hear her crying at night when all others are in bed. I watch her lay awake at night and go to hold her hand. She doesn't know I'm with her to help her understand. But like the sands on the beach that never wash away... I watch over my surviving mom, who thinks of me each day. She wears a smile for others... a smile of disguise! But through Heaven's door I see tears flowing from her eyes. My mom tries to cope with death to keep my memory alive. But anyone who knows her knows it is her way to survive. As I watch over my surviving mom through Heaven's open door... I try to tell her that angels protect me forevermore. I know that doesn't help her... or ease the burden she bears. So if you get a chance, go visit her... and show her that you care. For no matter what she says... no matter what she feels. My surviving mom has a broken heart that time won't ever heal.
To see a special video presentation called "I spoke to my child" click here: I spoke to my child then click View Presentation.
Visit Amanda's special Angel buddy! He also went to be with the Lord on Jan 22nd. He left his mommy & daddy this year.... :o( Angel Joey
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In Loving Memory of Dennis Dale Broitzman (Amanda's Grandpa) 1-17-47 to 8-13-06
This is Amanda's Grandpa Broitzman... We are sad to say that he lost his battle with dementia & ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). He passed away peacefully in his sleep on 8-13-06. He had a special place in his heart for Amanda. He kept all her pictures in an envelope in his desk & would frequently go into his office & look through them. He would drive by Amanda's grave every day & just say HI or keep it nice & neat. He is buried next to her like he wanted. I am sure that the second he got to Heaven, he RAN to her & scooped her up in his arms..... Take care of my baby girl & give her lots of hugs & kisses for me daddy!! We love you DAD/Grandpa & we will miss you SO much!!!!
God saw he was getting tired And a cure was not to be, So He put His arms around him And whispered, "Come with Me."
With tearful eyes we watched him suffer And saw him fade away, Although we loved him dearly We could not make him stay.
A golden heart stopped beating Hard working hands to rest, God broke our hearts to prove to us, He only takes the best.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* In loving memory of Ben Goette 9-2-47 to 4-26-05 Amanda will finally get to meet the grandpa she has never met before!!! We miss you so much!
We remember the good times we spent together All the laughter & the tears Even though you were called away These memories we'll cherish through the years.
It's been a year since that awful day We kissed & said "see you later" Not knowing that would be the last time I felt your sweet lips & warm embrace.
It has been hard for all of us But we know you are in a beautiful place We will never forget your beautiful smile Or your warm embrace.
The grandkids miss your kidding ways, The tickles, the hugs, the teasing. We will all remember your little Nicknames you had for them.
Thank you for visiting Amanda's site. Be sure to visit her legacy & her timeline. Please take a moment to light a candle or leave a message of condelence. This candle burns in remembrance of our angel, Amanda Jo
Our Precious Angel... Amanda Jo 9-9-90 to 1-22-91
Click on Precious Child below to listen to the song written for people that have lost children. Precious Child
**if you have something you would like to share or add to Amanda's webpage, please let me know! If you have any pictures of her that I do not have...please feel free to email a copy & I will be happy to add it to the photo album. my email
Tributes and Condolences
Happy Valentine's Day! / Wm. Scott &. Samantha Myers
Thank you / Debbie Nifong (Found web site by pics )
This is beautiful site. I am a critical care pediatric nurse and I plan on using some of these beautiful pictures, poems, scriptures and music to help others. Thank you! It won't be long before we're all together in a place that is so beautiful we ca...
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New Year's Resolutions For Bereaved Parents / Mommy To Amanda (Mommy)
New Year's Resolutions For Bereaved Parents
I resolve...
That I will grieve as much, and for as long, as I feel like grieving, and that I will not let others put a time table on my grief.
Beautiful! / Jolean Moran
You did a wonderful job on this website, it is so beautiful! I am trying to make a website for my daughter, and it's not an easy thing to do. Your daughter is very beautiful, I'm so sorry for your loss. I lost my daughter 4 years ag...
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Why Amanda Died.... An autopsy was performed to determine what the cause of death was. They found that Amanda died from pneumonia. She had 90% in her right lung & 60% in her left. Upon investigation they found that Amanda's immune system was not properly developed. Her system could not fight off normal colds like normal people. Being that she just had gotten off of antibiotics she should NOT have been to that point. She also should have been very sick but showed no signs or symptoms of having had pneumonia. If she would have lived through this episode she could have died if she got sick again. If the doctors would have discovered that her immune system didn't work properly, she would not have been able to live a very normal life. Colds could have been deadly to her. She would have to live her life very sheltered. They determined that Amanda's passing was very peaceful & painfree. She drifted to sleep & passed just as peaceful.
UPDATE: We have found that Amanda's sister, Meagan, has something called FOD (fatty acid oxidation disorder.) This disorder may cause lowered immune systems & it is believed that Amanda may have had an undiagnosed FOD. This would have caused her immune system to not work properly & thus her sickness to increase to pneumonia.
I have often asked why she had to die. This is a question without an answer. This world is filled with sin & when we are born we enter into that sin. It is because of sin that there is disease, sickness, death, etc. Someday maybe I will understand but right now it is not the time. Proverbs 3:5 says "trust in the Lord with all your heart & lean not on your own understanding." So even though we don't understand we should trust God & know that our precious children are with Him in Heaven with complete joy & happiness!
Thank-you Lord for your comfort!!! Precious & most Awesome Lord, Thank-you so much for all the times you have held me close to you. I thank-you for all your comfort & peace that you have given me. And even though at times I felt like you were not around, you were actually right by my side! Without You I would have not been able to get through such a difficult time! You are mighty & awesome & you have never left me or forsaken me!!! For this I am truly thankful & will follow you all the days of my life!
The Lord will comfort you, too. Just lean on Him & spend time in prayer with him & get to know Him by reading His Word (the Bible)!!! Some promises of comfort from our God!!! Hope you find some peace & comfort in reading these verses... Matt 5:4~Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted 2 Cor 1:3-4~Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. Psalms 23:4~Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Psalms 145:18-19~The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them. Psalm 34:18~The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 46:1~God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 119:28~My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word. Isaiah 41:13~For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.
The God of All Comfort....By Bill Gray
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received by God. II Corinthians 1:3-4
Thank-you Lord for your love, comfort & peace.
I want to give a HUGE thank-you to our Lord... if it weren't for Him I would have not made it through this difficult time..... I often think of myself at His feet with my head in his lap. This song reminds me of all the times I pictured myself at His feet. This is an awesome song & hope you can take time to listen to it! A clip of it is along the right hand side of this page or under the Audio & Video section.
At your Feet by Connie Harrington and Mary Tiller
She brought you oil, the purest gift she had You washed her soul with her tears though more than a thousand years have passed I still weep at how much that woman is just like me how much I want to be
Chorus: At your feet, where I feel your Spirit cover me And the darkest of my sins, they are forgiven what would you ask of me, I'd give up everything just so I can be at your feet.
I know one day I will open up my eyes to the wonders of Heaven foretold And I'll see that glorious mansion on high But I'll be content just to see Your face If I can just find my place.
Chorus
Footprints in the Sand
One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the LORD.
Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonging to him, and the other to the LORD.
When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand.H He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life. This really bothered him and he questioned the LORD about it: "LORD, you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me." The LORD replied: "My son, my precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."
Tributes and Condolences
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