Every Fallen Leaf

By Corey McKenna

IT IS LIKE EVERY FALLING LEAF...

We are naturally afraid of any change that comes along in life. We are afraid to commit, afraid to take a leap of faith. Many of us tend to run in the other direction, trying to chase leaves falling from a tree. They go in every direction, any which way, wherever the wind takes them. But it

• Language: English
• Publisher: Corey McKenna
• Release date: Jun 27, 2021
• ISBN: 9780578881010

Book preview

Every Fallen Leaf

Every Fallen Leaf

A Book by

Corey McKenna

IngramSpark

La Vergne, Tennessee

Copyright © 2021 by Corey McKenna

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, digital scanning, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

For permission requests, please address

Ingram Content Group LLC

1 Ingram Blvd

La Vergne, TN 37085

Published 2021 by IngramSpark

Printed in the United States of America

Every Fallen Leaf/ Corey McKenna. -- 1st ed.

ISBN 978-0-578880-99-0

●    Dedication      ●

This book is dedicated to all of the families and friends who admired, loved, and were impacted by Jen.

Anyone who has ever suffered loss and grieved for a loved one knows the pain and suffering of that loss. The sacrifice made to those we love does not even come close to anything else we experience in our lives. Grief is not a sign of weakness, nor a lack of faith…it’s the price of love. In fact, those little words we say at a wedding – in sickness and in health, till death do us part – have a whole different meaning when we are faced with it head on. It is in those defining moments that we do whatever it takes for our loved ones.

●    Table of Contents      ●

Introduction                                    i

One            Every Fallen Leaf on the Breeze            1

By Corey McKenna

Two            A Joy Harvested                        9

By Katie Lewis

Three      Are There Fireflies in Heaven?            19

By Virginia Williams

Four       My Jennifer                              33

By Jeanette McKenna

Five            At a Crossroads                        39

By Galen Norsworthy

Six            God’s Symphony in My Life                  45

By Jackie Maker

Seven      A Quiet Joy                              57

By Jessica Morgan

Eight      Lean In                                    61

By Lauren Penston

Nine      Just Breathe                              65

By Lana Jordan

Ten            The Front Row                              71

By Kurt Staeuble

Eleven      The Girl with the Thousand-Watt Smile      81

By Mike McKenna

Twelve      Daily Routines                              85

By Lindsey Pinckney

Thirteen      Short and Sweet                        91

By Various Authors

Fourteen      In Her Own Words                        103

By Jennifer McKenna

Fifteen      The Beauty in our Tears                  111

By Corey McKenna

Epilogue                                          119

Acknowledgements                              125

Contact                                          127

Be Strong and Courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord

your God is with you

wherever you go.

Joshua 1:9

●  Introduction      ●

…in those defining moments

It is in life that our experiences define who we are as individuals. We stop and realize the overarching components in life test our every ability. We cannot begin to describe why it happens that way, but we certainly try to make sense of it. For those who rely on God, his plan for us so much bigger than who we are and, many times, difficult to comprehend how enormous it truly is for us. Throughout our lives, understanding why things happen a certain way can give us a headache. It is in our nature to try and make sense of it, apply it to our lives, understand it, fix it, change it or just plain let it go. It has meaning, however small. It also defines us and what we are capable of accomplishing.

In those moments that defined me, I turn to my own experiences in life that shape me. I find the simplest of things. The basic of things. The myriad of experiences that shape and mold the very essence of who I am. I looked back at the relationships I had in my life – in high school, community college, Fresno State, in other cities. These relationships were defining moments – each one was long. I dated one for nearly seven years, thinking we may get married one day. Then, we just drifted apart. I dated one who was a childhood friend, but that ended in deception and jealousy. For the better part of 10 years, I was in a relationship of some sort.

It was not until Jen and I started dating did we realize how a relationship should be. We found each other in the most unlikely of places, at the most unlikely of times. Probably how it should be. She was in a dead-end relationship and wanted to move on and, at the time, was not interested in anyone. I had just got out of a very rough one. But it seemed like we should give it a try and see where it leads. It led to us dating, and after that first real kiss, I knew I was going to marry her. Eventually, we did on January 1, 2005.

Fully knowing Jen had cystic fibrosis, I knew the commitment it would take in our marriage. The first year was a tumultuous one. In early February – one month after we got married – Jen had a bleeding episode that sent us to the emergency room. She spent several days in the hospital during the first six months. I was beginning to wonder if it was me. Joking aside, she needed to receive proper care. Fortunately, my insurance allowed me to get an excellent CF doctor through Kaiser – Dr. Hannanel. He was instrumental in helping her get better and maintain a pretty normal lifestyle. We both had jobs that were okay with taking time away to drive to Los Angeles to meet with him quarterly. He even helped us get in touch with an infectious disease doctor to battle the bacterial infection she had in her lungs.

Over the next several years, we both were ready to move out of Bakersfield, California, and the Central Valley, to a place with cleaner air, close to a big hospital, and have a great CF doctor. Our first thought was Colorado, specifically the Boulder area. We visited the area when we went to National Jewish hospital for a consult. Their doctors stated patients with CF do not do well living in high altitude regions and suggested not to move there. We continued our search. It eventually brought us to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Our first visit to the area was in 2008 for my third Ironman triathlon. It was a gorgeous area. We returned in 2011 for the same event and decided this was the place. I needed a job, and we needed a house. We found both, and we finally moved in June 2012 and never looked back. The hardest part about leaving Bakersfield was leaving our closest friends, especially our most important ones – Josh and Katie Lewis. As dear and best friends do, they supported us. It did not make it any easier, though. It was the first time both of us lived outside California – ever. It was a great move. Most importantly, we found a fantastic CF doctor – Dr. McCarthy.

Now moving to an area without knowing anyone was quite challenging, but we drew on our faith it would be okay. While I got plugged in immediately with my new job, Jen struggled. Her years of depression began to take its toll because she was alone at home all day long. Our new church helped, but it was not entirely enough. Eventually, she found a connection, one we did not expect – the Union Gospel Mission. She often volunteered her time full time and finally worked her way to a paid position. She met four amazing ladies who all became instant friends – Jackie Maker, Amanda Morgan, Robin Olson, and Jan Vetter. This friendship was everlasting and helped Jen overcome some of her self-doubts and began to grow and impact so many lives. 

The next few years were incredible for Jen, but then her health began its decline. At first, it was the little things, but then the little things got bigger and bigger and more challenging to manage. Breathing became more complicated, and in July 2017, it came to a head in Seward, Alaska. Jen's breathing complications got worse, and she was airlifted to a hospital in Anchorage. As we should have expected, God picked the perfect hospital. The doctor there was a CF specialist and knew Dr. McCarthy quite well. After several days in the hospital, she was released. Still, a month later, a fiery, smoky season in our area caused her to become reliant on oxygen. It was also the point where we decided to attempt the aggressive IV treatment to try and get rid of her bacterial infection.

These were long, difficult, trying days in our lives. Many days required 8+ hours of IV treatment, causing her to be sick, weak, and not do very well. It only got more challenging. The plan was for at least a year, if not longer. Finally, in 2018, we began conversations about a double lung transplant. At first, we had no success. Not one transplant hospital wanted to take her until October 2019. The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, called and said they want us to visit. In December 2019, we went for a consultation with no expectation of acceptance. Then, the day before Christmas, our transplant coordinator, Kelly Watson, called us to say they want us to relocate there. What a fantastic Christmas present and a huge answer to years of prayer. In February 2019, we relocated to Chapel Hill and began the lung transplant journey. As we prepared for this move across the country, we had several things to consider: a place to live, a car to drive, extra money, someone to stay with Jen throughout the process. All of this