Jaanan sivu

Olen Jaana Kristiina Kauranen, vuonna 1976 syntynyt, vielä tällä hetkellä Helsingissä viihtyvä Tradenomi.

Tämä sivu ei kerro minusta sen enempää vaan on omistettu ystäväni Hanna Yrityksen muistolle.

6.1.2004

A year has passed since Hanna was taken away from us. Now everything is different, and yet everything is exactly the same. Hanna, wherever you are, I hope you know how sad we all are that your life ended so soon but hopefully you are also proud of how we have kept your memory alive while trying to move on with our lives.

All the people close to you miss you more than words can say. During the last 12 months we have talked about you with tears in our eyes, we have talked about you with laughter in our hearts, we have shared our memories with each other, the people close to you, and we have supported one another as well as we could. I hope you have been able to see that.

This is a very difficult time for your family and loved ones. Once again, they are taken back in their minds to the day you passed away, one year ago. They are not thinking about the future, or about the New Year or the experiences it will bring. They are thinking about the past, the year they spent without you, what might have been, what never will be.

You would be married now. Together we would all be talking about your beautiful wedding last autumn, listening to your plans for the future. We would be. We should be. We never will.

Siunaus toimitetaan Seinäjoella Törnävän kirkossa la 18.1.2003 klo 14.00 omaisten ja läheisten ystävien läsnäollessa. Hannan muistoa voi kunnioittaa tukemalla rahastoa joka käytetään Syöpäklinikan potilaiden hyväksi: Nordea 114235-27074.

Muutama vuosi sitten saavuin pääkaupunkiseudulle työn perässä. Nuorekkaan IT-alan pyörteissä tutustuin moniin hauskoihin ja ihaniin ihmisiin, joihin yhäkin pidän yhteyttä vaikka työpaikat ovat jo vaihtuneet useaan otteeseen molemmin puolin. Hurjista IT-kuplan vuosista jäi siis käteen pysyviä ihmissuhteita, joista kestävin on ollut ystäväni Liisan kanssa.

Liisan myötä tutustuin myös hänen pohjalaiseen perheeseensä ja etenkin hänen siskoonsa Hannaan. Hanna oli asunut pitkään Uudessa-Seelannissa, mutta muuttanut yhdessä irlantilaisen poikaystävänsä Daven kanssa takaisin Suomeen.

Hanna ja Dave rakensivat elämänsä uudestaan Davelle vieraassa maassa ja kulttuurissa. Hanna oli innoissaan ja onnellinen ollessaan taas lähempänä perhettään ja läheisiään ja Dave tutustui Hannan suomalaiseen elämään sekä perheeseen ja olikin pian kuin kotonaan iloisten ja ystävällisten pohjalaisten keskuudessa.

Vuosi 2002 alkoi ikävillä uutisilla. Hanna sai kuulla lääkäriltä sanat, joita kukaan ei koskaan halua kuulla: Sinulla on syöpä. Hannan mahalaukusta löytyi kasvain. Perheensä, rakkaan poikaystävänsä ja lukuisten ystäviensä tuella Hanna aloitti elämänsä kovimman taistelun. Monien epätoivoisten hetkien, kivuliaiden hoitojen ja leikkauksen jälkeen Hanna pääsi voitolle ja kotiin puolen vuoden sairaalassa olon jälkeen. Viiden kuukauden ajan Hanna rakensi elämäänsä taas uudelleen ja opetteli elämään leikkauksen jäljiltä ilman mahalaukkua.

Elämä jatkui vaikka tieto muutamista jäljelle jääneistä pesäkkeistä painoi mieltä ja jatkuvat sytostaattihoidot rasittivat kehoa vieden Hannan kauniit hiukset mennessään. Hoidoista huolimatta jouluna 2002 Hanna joutui sairaalaan. Pitkän taistelun jälkeen syöpä oli päässyt leviämään liian laajalle ja Hanna menehtyi 6.1.2003.

Siskonsa Hannan muistoa kunnioittaakseen ystäväni Liisa on perustanut rahaston Meilahden Syöpäklinikan potilaiden hyväksi. Ottaakseni osaa ystäväni Liisan suruun ja osoittaakseni myös oman syvän suruni Hannan poismenon johdosta halusin omistaa oman osioni näistä sivuista Hannalle ja samalla levittää tietoa muistorahastosta.

Toivottavasti olet osunut tälle sivulle ja pysähtynyt lukemaan tätä tarinaa. Toivottavasti tämä tarina on koskettanut sinua ja haluat myös jollain tavalla osoittaa sen:

Hanna-Leena Yrityksen muistorahasto:

Nordea 114235-27074

Mikään ei tuo Hannaa takaisin keskuuteemme ja mikään ei helpota syvää suruamme. Haluamme kuitenkin vaikuttaa siihen, että jonkun toisen taistelu päättyisi toisin kuin Hannan.

A few years ago I arrived to Helsinki to work here. Thanks to the youthful IT-field I soon met many funny and wonderful people, who are still my friends. Even after the IT-boom was over many friendships remained but the strongest friendship remained with Liisa.

Through Liisa I also got to know her family and especially her sister Hanna. She had lived in New Zealand for many years but had moved back to Finland with her irish boyfriend Dave.

Together Hanna and Dave re-built their lives in a country and culture that was strange to Dave. Hanna was happy to be back and close to her family again and Dave soon settled in and felt at home with Hanna’s family.

Year 2002 started with very bad news. Hanna heard from the doctor the words nobody wants to hear: You have cancer. She had a tumour in her stomach. With the support of her family, loving boyfriend and friends she started the fight for her life. After many desperate moments, painful treatments and surgery Hanna was winning and was able to go home after spending 6 months in the hospital. During the following 5 months Hanna again re-built her life.

Life continued even though she had the knowledge of a few remaining cancer cells in her body and the ongoing treatments were very straining physically and caused her to loose her hair. Despite the treatments Hanna was hospitalised at Christmas 2002. After a long fight the cancer had spread too wide and Hanna passed away 6.1.2003.

To honour the memory of her sister Hanna, my friend Liisa has started a fund for the patients in Meilahti Cancer Clinic. My way of taking part in my friend Liisa’s grief and also a way of showing my own sorrow about Hanna’s death was to dedicate my part of this website to Hanna and at the same time spread the word about the memorial fund.

Hopefully you have stumbled across this site and taken a moment to read this story. Hopefully this story has touched you and you also want to express it somehow:

Memorial fund for Hanna-Leena Yritys:          Nordea 114235-27074

Nothing will bring Hanna back to us and nothing will ease our deep sorrow. But we do want to influence that somebody else’s fight for their life will have a different ending than Hanna had.

My sister Hanna.

Hanna was not just my sister but also my friend. Many golden memories come to mind.

When we were small girls, Hanna and I shared the same friends, hobbies and even the same bedroom, though there was plenty of space in our house. Music was our hobby but our talents were not divided equally. Hanna learned to play by ear, and I played from notes. Hanna was the calm one but also the most decisive. According to mom we had once broken the windows of our playhouse just because Hanna told us to.

When we had already started school, Ami our household helper, joined our family. I remember how Antti, Hanna and I laughed behind the door when Ami was talking to mom with her karelia dialect. According to Ami we once phoned our grandma Pirkko and complained to her how Ami forced us to wash our hands before eating. But we learned everything in time….

Studying took us both to different part of Finland, and the world but our close  relationship remained. I spent an unforgettable month in New Zealand and Hanna visited me in England.

When grandma Pirkko passed away our family was united. Later on Hanna’s illness brought us even closer together, also with our relatives and close friends.

Even though Hanna’s last year was darkened by her illness, it did not change Hanna as a person. She kept her positivism and joy for life.

When Hanna was in the hospital we often joked around and called the ‘dripfeeder’ her tall and skinny lover. I often gave away to tears and fear but Dave was always able to find the silver lining in everything. Dave’s support meant everything to Hanna, and to me too.

Liisa Yritys

My Lovely Friend Hanna.

Dear Dave, Ritva, Liisa, Pertti, Antti and Lauri,

Hanna was the kindest, most gentle person I knew and I am blessed to have known her and that she was a part of my life. Hanna and I flatted together over 3 - 4 year period in Auckland. We were single together for much of this time and often joked how we could be still living together as old spinsters when we were 60. We referred to each other as ‘wifey’, a term of affection that has continued. We shared so many funny moments and helped each other through difficult times (and hangovers).

I have so many memories of Hanna to treasure, she loved coming to our family holiday bach at Pahi, to relax – she loved sleeping, eating and reading up there! In fact we always were planning and talking about the next snack or meal and the lovely bottle of wine we were going to have with it. She loved going to Lake Taupo and I know she used to think of the beauty of Taupo when she first fell ill and wanted to think beautiful thoughts.

My family and friends all loved Hanna. My mother was very fond of Hanna and loved it when she came to stay. My mother always looked to Hanna for support when she was trying to tell me off! Although comparatively speaking Hanna and I had not known each other for many years, we were very close and we knew more about each other than others that we had known for years. Well we were wives!

Her gentleness and love of animals. I remember her volunteer work at the SPCA on Saturdays. It took me ages to convince her that having a kitten in our flat would be wonderful – she was a bit worried it would make a furry mess on her sofa! Finally we got Kitty who of course Hanna adored.

Hanna would speak of Finland and her family often. She missed everyone so much when she was in New Zealand and would proudly tell us all about where she came from, Finnish traditions, her lovely family and all of the animals. Every Christmas she would spend at least one whole day baking Finnish treats. She was such a great cook too – I loved here special hangover breakfast: scrambled eggs with grated carrot, tuna and cheese! I was not quite so fond of the Finnish Vodka with licorice in it….

It is so unfair that Hanna – such a truly good person – has been cheated of a long and healthy life. I will treasure the lovely Marimekko apron she made and sent me for Christmas. The lovely handmade Christmas card she had made with her Mum. She had such a lovely touch with decorating, everything always looked lovely around the place, in her room, her apartment she shared with Dave. Such a love of all things lovely – and notorious for her expensive taste!

There are many more things I remember about Hanna and will never forget. I loved Hanna, she was a special person who touched many lives. I will miss her terribly. I am so glad I had the opportunity to visit her in Finland during her last year. My heart ached for her but she continued through her illness with such a courage, determination and grace.

I was so delighted when Dave told me that Hanna and he had become engaged. Dave, you have been so wonderfully supportive to Hanna and I know she loved you very much. Such a special relationship the two of you shared.

She was an inspiration. I know there are many of you in Finland – Dave, her Mum, Dad, Liisa, and brothers and many other friends who will be so lost without your beautiful girl there. But her memory will always live in your hearts and now she is at peace, with her beloved Grandmother.

Much love to you all, my thoughts are with you.  

Sherryl