She is growing up

Janice Langbehn ♦ January 30, 2012 ♦ Leave a Comment

Last week, Danielle and I headed to Eastern Washington University. Danielle was admitted for the fall term and she committed to the school. Though it was snowing as we started our tour, Danielle seemed to go through the gam met of emotions typical of looking at the next stage of anyone’s life. She was excited, apprehensive, curious and quiet. I am beyond proud of Danielle. Now that she has seen dorm rooms, she is setting up wish lists on Amazon and Target for her towels and other important things she needs to get to make the room her own. Look for those lists soon. Danielle’s graduation date is June 9th – here in Olympia at St. Martins. Tickets are limited – we only get 6 tickets but already have asked for 5 more.

Here is a pic of Danielle as we were landing in Spokane – I think it says it all. Everything that must be going through her head as she gets ready to move on and find her own wings and soar to new heights.

Our Journey during the Tournament of Roses- Donate Life Float, class of 2012

Janice Langbehn ♦ January 7, 2012 ♦ 1 Comment

Lisa’s Legacy -Let her inspire you too

Janice Langbehn ♦ December 31, 2011 ♦ Leave a Comment

http://donatelife.net/

MY NEW YEAR’S WISH

Hello Everyone,

As many of you are aware, the kids and I are in Pasadena to honor Lisa’s legacy in just as an important way, as hospital visitation equality and that is through organ/tissue donation. Of all that happened that horrible night on 2/18/2007, knowing Lisa’s wishes regarding organ donation, was the one decision I took comfort in. For 18 years, Lisa always said her body was just a vessel for her soul and when her soul was done with it, I was to make the best use of her body as I could.

Though I was reeling from over 8 hours of indifferent treatment at Jackson Memorial Hospital, and my failure to comfort Lisa in her last moments, I knew I was carrying out her lifelong desire to continue helping others through organ donation. Fortunately, once Lisa became an organ donor candidate, staff of LAORA (Life Alliance Organ Recovery Agency), who were separate staff from Jackson Memorial, created a relaxed, welcoming and peaceful place for Lisa to spend her last moments with family and her children before organ donation. No longer did I feel unwelcome and I was even validated as Lisa’s spouse by signing the donation papers as her “spouse”.

The theme of the entire Rose parade is “Just Imagine” and the donate Life float’s theme to correspond is “just one more day”. For nearly five long years, I have imagined just one more day with Lisa. I have even imagined just having back the 8 hours stolen from the children, Lisa and myself in her final moments on earth. However, I also image all the “one more days” Jerry as well as the liver and 2 kidney recipients received because of Lisa’s selfless act of organ donation.

It is my sincerest wish that by knowing our family’s story I have inspired you. I hope I have inspired those of you who are not organ donors will consider this as a new year’s resolution AND act on it. For those of you who are organ donor’s (thank you) and are inspired by Lisa’s gift of life to 4 people, that you will inspire someone to become an organ donor in 2012.

I see a future of full equality and one where fewer people die while waiting for a transplant.

Peace and Happy New Year

Janice

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2705272185825.133571.1077370777&type=1&l=eca5c5c98a

PS you can tune in to watch for the Donate Life Parade – almost 1/2 through the parade on MONDAY 1/2/12 (yes it’s on the 2nd). Check your NBC and ABC local listing for times. Look for Lisa’s floragraph as seen in the link – of the pictures from yesterday as well as a glimpse of me riding the float.

~~~~~~~~ Local Hometown Coverage ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

King5 coverage

LACEY, Wash. — Janice Langbehn considers herself an accidental activist. And this year, she is being honored greatly for her efforts.

Langbehn will be on the Donate Life float at the Rose Parade Monday morning. She will ride in honor of her partner, Lisa Pond, an organ donor who died nearly five years ago from a brain aneurysm while they were vacationing. Their story received national attention because Langbehn and their children were not allowed to visit Pond as she passed away in a hospital.

Following Pond’s death, Langbehn worked tirelessly to change the laws. President Obama recently revised hospital visitation rights for same-sex couples at hospitals receiving federal Medicare or Medicaid funds. For her efforts, Langbehn received the prestigious Presidential Citizens Medal in October, an honor that was awarded to only 13 people this year.

Langbehn is now preparing to honor her partner by riding in the Rose Parade. The Donate Life float will feature dozens of organ donors by displaying giant pictures of the donors that are made of flowers — known as floragraphs.

“I’m sure it’ll be emotional,” Langbehn said. “I still miss her. We were together 18 years.”

Langbehn wanted Jerry Lawrence, the Florida man who received Pond’s heart, to be in the grandstand during the parade. Lawrence was prepared to make the trip, but other health issues, not connected to his heart, kept him from flying.

So he will watch the parade on TV. And Langbehn knows her partner will be watching from above.

“I’m just honored they asked us,” she said. ”To continue Lisa’s legacy.”

Dani did it!

Janice Langbehn ♦ December 10, 2011 ♦ Leave a Comment

After anxious moments and times of self doubt a thin envelope arrived in yesterdays mail from Eastern Washington University. We got one earlier in the week saying they hadn’t received her transcripts to being thin I thought it was another reminder letter. I opened it and at the very top in bold letters it said YES! Dani did it she got into a 4 yr university EWU outside of Spokane. She has applied to one place out of state, Georgia but she have not heard anything from them as of yet. If she gets into both, it will just be a time to sit down and list the pros and cons of each school and what she really wants, how much debt she wants to incur (at EWU it would be zero because of a program Lisa and I signed the kids up for – that only works at Washington state schools). But all of that aside, she did it! I am so proud of my little girl and I know damn well Lisa is too. Danielle came to us at almost 5 yrs old with delays in every area and in special ed preschool. Danielle has worked her ass off to overcome the horrible hand she was dealt by her birth mother and the foster care system leaving her in an abusive placement for almost 2 yrs – to rise above it all, hold chin up in the wake of family tragedy of losing “other mom” and to get into college. Watch out world – you have Dani to contend with now – God forbid anyone tries to tell her she “can’t” do something.

Letter to the Editor – the Olympia

Janice Langbehn ♦ December 2, 2011 ♦ Leave a Comment

Time has come for civil unions

JANICE LANGBEHN; Lacey • Published December 02, 2011

As the fifth anniversary of the death of my partner, Lisa Pond, draws closer, I am compelled to continue to speak out for equality for all families within Washington state.

Lisa and I were together for 18 years before her untimely death in Miami on Feb. 19, 2007, while we were on vacation with our foster/adoptive children. While our family had living wills, advanced directives and power of attorneys, it did not allow us access to Lisa’s bedside until a blood relative arrived eight hours later. Precious hours ticked by and Lisa slipped into a coma during this time and died alone with no one by her side.

The foundation of marriage helps build stable families. All couples in loving and committed relationships should be given the opportunity to create stronger and more successful families through civil marriage.

The respect, protection and commitment that marriage represents should be available to all loving couples in Washington.

I want to be very clear: I am asking for civil marriage. If lesbian and gay marriages are legalized, churches still would not be required to perform them – just as the First Amendment protects. Lesbian and gay couples who marry in civil ceremonies would be recognized by the state.

I believe the time has come not only for Washington to take a stand but to protect all families. Will you stand with me?