Briana was born April 8th to a very excited big sister. I had been waiting exactly 7 years and 10 months for a sibling. I was so happy to finally have one. She had big blue eyes and dark brown hair. As she grew her hair changed to blonde. When she was little she looked like a Skipper barbie doll. She loved to swim and learned to swim as a baby. I think she was six months old when she first took lessons.

When she was in junior high school she competed in swimming, soccer, cheerleading, bowling, and basketball. She liked to play sports and keep busy. Briana had epilepsy but she did not let that keep her down. She dealt with it the best way she knew how. Briana also loved to tease her brother patrick. He is 4 years younger than her. He hated it when we teamed up to tease him. We called him Big Bird because he is 6'5 and weighs about 280. He also has hair like Big Bird. Briana also had a boyfriend named Brian who she had been dating about a year.

Briana was on a high school field trip when she drown. It was on May 7th, 2001. She was pulled out of the hot tub about 11:41 am. The medical team was never able to get a pulse after she was pulled from the water. They did try their best to save her and we do appreciate all their efforts. I remember that day like it was yesterday. My husband came home from work and said we had to go to the hospital, that Briana was there. I thought that maybe she had a seizure and was taken to the ER. I wish that was what happened. I have never seen my mom or brother so upset. She was buried May 13th at Queen of Heaven cemetery in the Fallen Christ section.

Please do not think that this could not happen to you. My sister was on a field trip when this happened. It can happen to any one at anytime. I never thought this would happen to us. I used to see these stories on tv and think that it was so sad but that it would never happen to anyone I know. Well that is not the case. I miss my sister like crazy. I am hoping that sharing what happened to her may help someone in the long run.