Christina Capozzi was born on April 9, 1989 in Boston. She was 7.1 lbs and was 21 inches long. When she was a few months old, it was discovered that she had a heart defect that later was determined to be Shones Syndrome. Throughout her life, she experienced many cardiac medical procedures, operations, and hospital stays. On September 29, 1997 Christina went into the hospital for a valve operation. She suffered complications from this surgery, and never awoke after the procedure. She spent 3 weeks waiting for a heart transplant, but even after receiving a new heart, she lost her fight on Halloween, October 31, 1997.

Although we all know about Christina's medical story, this is not what we remember about her. What we remember about Christina is an 8 year old full of life, with the richest, silliest laugh that you couldn't resist. She loved being with her friends, playing.  She loved school, and was always so proud of her accomplishments and assignments from school. Her favorite activities were drawing, painting, reading, riding her bike, and being silly. She loved being with her grandparents, cousins and her step brother and sister. She had a large extended family and she was loved by all, and she treasured all of them. She was very accepting and forgiving of others, always concerned about the other kids in the hospital or her friends in the neighborhood.

When she starting wearing hearing aids in first grade, a whole new world was opened up to Christina, and she brought others with her. She loved the sound of the birds, and couldn't understand why the kids had to yell so loudly in school!  Things we had heard so many times now seemed so special. She really blossomed when she her hearing aids.

Always trying to show she was a big kid, Christina was stubborn and determined to do most things on her own.

When we would paint fingernails, you think you would have given Christina the moon. She appreciated all she had - her Grammie used to say she would appreciate a stick of gum forever! Her Barbie dolls were her treasures, and her imagination flourished as she always told stories and situations about them.

Christina must have suffered more than any of us could have known. Yet, she lived her life with so much happiness, contentment, and a sense of caring, patience and appreciation that she taught us all an important lesson.

This is the Christina that we remember, and I'm sure the one that she would want us to remember. I know that she is still with all of us, forever.