FVHS Freshman Leaves a Beautiful Legacy
February 7, 2009 by rachel
Filed under Featured, Student Life
By Jennifer Schultz, Staff writer
Name: Tiffany T. Nguyen
Age: 14
Born: July 10, 1994
Died: December 5, 2008
On Friday, December 5, 2008 at 2:28 a.m., Tiffany Nguyen peacefully passed away, surrounded by her mother, father, cousins, and aunts, at the Children’s Hospital of Orange County.
Tiffany was an only child and is survived by her parents and loving extended family.
When describing FVHS freshman Tiffany Nguyen, family and friends remember a big-hearted girl who was kind, loving, and patient. She adored children, and wanted to spend her life helping them.
Her life goals included “working at Jamba Juice when she turned 15, learning how to drive and having a boyfriend at 16 (if Dad permitted), volunteering as a counselor at Ronald McDonald camp at 19, and working part time as a care giver in a child oncology ward while attending college to become a kindergarten teacher.” A graduate of Vista View Middle School, Tiffany had just started high school and was looking forward to the experience.
Tiffany’s beautiful dreams were cut short when, in June 2006, doctors discovered that she had an incurable and rare type of sarcoma, Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor.
She and her family tried to fight the cancer in every way possible. She underwent a major surgery, 8-month chemotherapy, 4-month radiation treatment, and many trips to the emergency room due to the numerous side effects. In a desperate attempt to find Tiffany a cure, she and family decided to start a clinical drug trial, and she was in its first treatment cycle before she passed away.
Despite her own suffering, she maintained her love for children and always tried to make the younger patients in the Oncology Ward smile. Tiffany often shared her teddy bears and balloons with younger patients, hoping to ease their loneliness, fear, anger, and pain.
Kimberly Do, a close friend, remembers, “She liked kids and loved to make them smile. She always stared at the T.V. [at the hospital] and wished there was something that would not only take her pain away, but also the suffering of the other children.”
Her family noticed that when they visited her, there wasn’t much for Tiffany to do except watch TV. After Tiffany’s peaceful passing, her family gave some of her toys to Tiffany’s 8- year-old friend who is battling leukemia at CHOC.
On the blog Tiffany’s cousins set up to update friends and family about Tiffany’s condition, they wrote, “We brought her [Tiffany’s friend] Tiffany’s favorite movie ‘High School Musical’ and decorated her room with some of Tiffany’s toys. Her mom said we made her day. Watching her happiness and beautiful smile through her pain awakened us all. At times we may have taken life for granted, and now we feel the need to do something, big or small, to help bring joy and erase physical and mental pain for even a few minutes or hours.”
To honor Tiffany and her last wishes, her dad, aunts, and cousins have created the program, “Tiffany’s Dream,” to help other children who are experiencing the same struggles as Tiffany endured.
The Make-A-Wish Club members at FVHS are doing their best to fulfill Tiffany’s dream. Club president Vanessa Pham says, “Tiffany was a club member, and I heard this was her favorite club because of the joy it brings to children.”
The FVHS Make-A-Wish is hosting a DVD drive for the Oncology Ward at the Children’s Hospital of Orange County. Unfortunately, this drive has not received much attention. There are only a few donated DVDs, and the club is extending the deadline to the end of February so students have a chance to make the kind-hearted freshman’s last wish come true.
All movie DVDs, old or used, all genres, are appreciated. They must be rated G, PG, or PG-13. Disney movies in particular, are appreciated. Students can drop off the movie at Ms. LaFramboise room, Room 131.
On the blog dedicated to Tiffany’s memory, her family say, “We want to continue Tiffany’s dream by making a positive impact on children and helping them to be happy and enjoy their lives to the fullest as we know Tiffany would want.”
“Please spread the word among your family and friends to keep this 14-year-old girl’s beautiful dream alive and benefit other unfortunate pediatric cancer patients.”
Leave a memory: http://supporttiffany.blogspot.com/
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Rest in peace, Tiffany. We all miss you.
Beautifully written! I am Tiffany’s cousin and I am very positive that she is looking at all this w/ a big smile. Thank you for helping to continue Tiffany’s dream of helping other children to be happy!!!
Beautifully written! I am Tiffany’s cousin and I am very positive that she is looking at all this w/ a big smile. Thank you for helping to continue Tiffany’s dream of helping other children to be happy!!!
To all of you who had Tiffany part of your life,
We are among the fortunate who had a chance to know Tiffany and spend some time with her- she is our daughter-in-law’s cousin. I say is, because she is still such an important part of our lives and memories. Thank you all for making her dream realized. As in her life, she is still giving and touching so many. Doris and Bill Webber
tiffany is so beautiful. i hope she rests in peace and has a wonderful afterlife.
Tiffany we will miss you
This article is so beautifully written. It really touched me.
I had the pleasure of knowing Tiffany’s family and I would just like to extend my warmest thanks to the writer who made sure Tiffany will always be remembered. Thank you.
Tiffany seems to be a beautiful girl! Wonderful article. My 5 yr old daughter is a Hematology patient at CHOC. We are always on the 3rd floor when hospitalized. I hope it will make Tiffany happy to know that on my daughters last two hospital stays at CHOC she has enjoyed watching the disney and barbie princess dvd’s on the portable dvd players that were donated in honor of Tiffany! These are a great! My daugther loves to put on the headphones and listen to her movies. Great Idea! Tiffany would be proud!