Ice the Ultimate Sacrifice

By Karen Crane

This is my story, being one of nine children in a less-than-functioning family but always feeling the love of her mother. I was married once, before I found the love of my life, my second husband, Bradley John Crane. The love he gave me, I never knew existed on this earth. What we thought was a harmless habit would turn deadly and one of us would pay the ultimate price for our drug use.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley
• Release date: Aug 31, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463643457

Karen Crane

A beautiful, loving woman who adored and cherished her husband for over 25 years until his death which was caused by a massive heart attack due to the drug: ICE. The life she now lives every single day after his death is spent trying to fight the fight on her own.

Book preview

About the Author

A beautiful, loving woman who adored and cherished her husband for over 25 years until his death which was caused by a massive heart attack due to the drug: ICE. The life she now lives every single day after his death is spent trying to fight the fight on her own.

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Dedication

Bradley John Crane

12-12-1967 – 29-9-2014

I wish to dedicate this book to my husband.

This book I have written tells of our love, our life and our drug abuse. In the kindest and most loving way, I know.

I will continue to love you with my whole heart and soul until the end of time.

Thank you, Brad, for all the years of love.

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Ice the Ultimate Sacrifice

Published by Austin Macauley at Smashwords

Copyright 2018, Karen Crane

The right of Karen Crane to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the

Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All Rights Reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with the written permission of the publisher, or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1956 (as amended). Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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A CIP catalogue record for this title is

Available from the British Library.

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www.austinmacauley.com

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Ice the Ultimate Sacrifice, 2018

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd.

ISBN 9781788230537 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781788230544 (E-Book)

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First Published in 2018

Austin Macauley Publishers.LTD/

CGC-33-01, 25 Canada Square

Canary Wharf, London E14 5LQ

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Acknowledgements

I wish to thank my children and grandchildren for all their love and support, not just since Brad’s death but for supporting me every step of the way whilst I have been writing this book.

To my sister, Shelly, without whom, this book would not be possible. All the love, support and help she has given me has made the difference, not just for this book but also in my personal life.

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Who Am I

Life after Brad

In the Beginning

About Brad and His Work

Sofala with Brad and His Family

Collecting Antiques and Memories

Drug Charges

No One Else Is to Blame

Moving to the Country

It’s Time to Go Home, Ma

Brad Saved His Life

My Husband, My Hero

Brad and Caprii

You Need to Know

Now I Fight for All

The Final Three Months

The Last 36 Hours

Return to Home

Before It’s too Late

Poems by Karen Crane

Thank You, God.

We Can Make a Difference

My Soul Mate

Is That You

You’ll Know

The Trial

I’m Not Alone

MY FINAL WORDS

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Introduction

Who Am I

I was born on 3 April 1964. My name at birth was Karen Fay Mansbridge; at the time of my birth I was the youngest of seven children. Within five more years, there would be two more siblings. By 1969, we would have a family of nine children, a mother and a father. Both of our parents worked for many years to try and maintain our family on an everyday basis. I remember many Christmases we woke to many toys, most of which were second-hand. We, as children, didn’t mind; after all, it was Christmas, the most wonderful time of the year. Our father was an abusive man to most of his family, this included us children and our mother. I will not go into all this as it is private and personal. I loved my mother but I didn’t understand my father. How can you love someone you fear? My mother always kept our home so clean. I remember coming home after school and I used to lie on the vinyl floors, they were freshly mopped and smelt nice to lie on. My father was a mechanic and my mother was a night shift worker on a process line. My mother worked all night until early morning to return home and begin her domestic duties. When Mum was at work, she worked; when she was at home, she was cooking and cleaning. Mum was always tired, she had black rings under her eyes all the time. I honestly don’t know how she did it, but she did and she did it for many years. My mother and father didn’t have a loving relationship at all.

Over the years, I came to realise that my father possibly had some mental health issues. My mother stayed married to my father until his suicide in June 1976. They say either cowards or people with mental health issues commit suicide, perhaps there may be some truth to this. My father’s death left my mother a single parent, a widow. Some of my elder brothers had moved out of home to begin their own lives, but this still left Mum with five children to feed and put through school. This is when I first noticed my mother for who she really was, this strong-willed woman I had never seen before. Mum put us through school, she clothed and fed us all, each and every day, and never once complained. Life was hard for all of us, especially for our mum, but she soldiered on. I believe that God made sure that she was the mother of all of us and that God, in fact, gave her extra strength to combat everything that life had in store for her. Our mother loved us unconditionally as we all did her. Before I turned fifteen years old, I had a full-time job that paid me $46 per week and out of that I gave my mother $30 a week in board money. By the time I turned sixteen years old, I had three jobs which I worked at for quite a few years. I moved in with an Australian sailor; I lived with him for three years, but he became a very abusive person toward me. He was both physically and mentally abusive toward me. To deal with things, I actually started a drinking habit and before long I was an alcoholic. I watched my mother being abused by my father for many years and I was not going to let it happen to me. I wanted out and that was exactly what I did, I got out of