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From YOUR IZABELA on January 8th, 2007 TO BRYANNA... LOOKING DEEP INTO THE EYES'TRAIL...SOMEWHERE STARING AT HEAVEN'S DOOR THAT'S BEEN CLOSED, IT SLOWLY CHANGES ME. YOUR HART FEN ASLEEP...SOMEWHERE THE LIGHT OF THE DAY DISAPPEARED, YOU WHERE THE LIGHT. ALL OF THE SUDDEN I SUFFER FROM THE LACK OF EVERYTHING!!! MAYBE IT WILL CHANGE FOR THE BETTER? MAYBE SOMETHING WILL CHANGE WITH THE HOPE? MAYBE SOMEWHERE,JUST LIKE IN BEATIFUL DREAM, ON THE BEAUTIFUL MORNING...THERE WILL BE YOU AND MAYBE ME AGAIN. SOMEWHERE,FAR FAR OFF,YOU CAN HEAR SOME FREE THOUGHTS THAT ARE RUSHING TOWARDS INVISIBLE PLACES. AND NOW BACK TO NORMAL AGAIN... WE HAVE TO TRY TO LOVE THE LIFE AGAIN. SOMEWHERE...THERE IS STILL THE LAST WHISPER,THE LAST TENDER MOTION,THE LAST WARM TOUCH. I STILL HEAR HER WORDS TO ME; I SAID TO HER NOBODY LOVE ME:) SHE SAID"I LOVE YOU".THAT WORDS ARE IN MY HEART FOR FOREVER. I LOVE YOU BRYANNA DESOUZA,ONLY YOUR IZABELA. From Jenny on January 7th, 2007 I was Bryanna's best buddy in 8th grade. She was the happiest person i have ever known. If she smiled you couldn't help but smile back. I remember one of our best buddy trips the one to the bowling ally. It was so much fun and everytime I looked over to Bryanna she had a smile from ear to ear. I think we did more dancing then bowling that day. It was awsome I will always remeber it and smile everytime I think of it.She was a wonderful person so full of life, love and happiness. I will keep every memory I have with her in my heart forever. And whenever I feel there is no hope I will think of her and smile and know that there is always hope to keep going no matter how bad you might fell. So Thank you Bryanna and you will always be in my heart. From Gracie Frasca Fulljames on January 2nd, 2007 Wow, where do I begin? I am Judy's cousin and have to say I have never admired anyone more than Bryanna and Judy. Because Judy stayed so strong (at least on the outside) Bryanna was able to do the same. She never told Bryanna she couldn't do something, rather, she encouraged her to try. As a Mom, I can't imagine the pain and heartache she went through watching her little girl leave her little by little each day. The strength this took was phenominal and her faith was and is undying. So, Bryanna...I remember with a smile the family reunion we had and Bryanna was just starting to use a walker. In usual Bryanna style, she made the best of a bad situation and just "went with it". I asked her if she had a liscence for that "thing" and she just burst into laughter. So I made her a liscense on some scrap paper and taped it to the front and she just thought that was hysterical. When she was even younger, maybe about three, I remember picking up my mother, Judy's Aunt Chicky, up at Aunt Mary's house in Milford. Well, Bryanna just hated this as she loved my Mom's company and would tell me in no uncertain terms that I was not taking her with me! She called me "Chicky's daughter" at the time and it was so funny. The kid had a lot of spunk, even back then! I'm sure some of Aunt Mary's personality was born into her as she was a fire cracker! I tried bribing her with coloring books, etc...but no way was she going to warm up to me, as long as I was taking Aunt Chicky away! We finally came to terms and what a wonderful feeling that was! A year or so ago I made a tote bag for Bryanna. It had her riding a unicorn and there were silhouettes of dancers around her as she so loved to dance...I called it Bryanna's rainbow and Judy said she loved it. I am glad I was able to make her smile. It was an honor to know such a strong young lady and I know she will make a most impressive angel. Keep dancing, Bryanna, and know that we all love you. From eileen kulmann on January 21st, 2007 I only knew Bryanna for a short while but that's all that was needed. I miss her great sense of humor, her courage, our thumbwrestling wars and most of all, HER SMILE..........I remember a poem about when someone you know touches you so much that it's hard to put into words. "rain on my roof tickles the darkness and reminds me of the time you walked barefoot across my soul" I know Bry is dancing her way through heaven now and she no longer has any disease or troubles. She is and always will be a free and lovely spirit. Yesterday would have been your 15th birthday, so happy birthday Bry!!!!!!!!!! From Tom Mazzulla on January 11th, 2007 Bryanna & Judy What I Learned from both of you I learned a lot from both of you since we met 10 years ago. I learned when you can no longer take ballet You can still dance inside I learned that when things seem to be getting so blue The color purple will brighten your day I learned that when it is no longer possible to run and jump A good thumb wrestling match can be a lot of fun I learned when things look dark You can light up a room with a twinkle in your eye and a smile I learned that when you can no longer say it in words A thumbs up and a smile will speak volumes I learned that when you feel like complaining There is always something to smile about I learned what a mother and daughter relationship can be Strength, patience and love I learned it is not the number of years you exist But the number of days that you LIVE. Thanks for teaching me. From The Kehoe Family on December 9th, 2006 What I remember the most about Bryanna and will never forget were her wonderful eyes and honest smile. One could tell when she was posing as if told to smile and when it was from the heart. Everything about her glowed in the presence of that smile. Her hugs made others feel warm, safe even when it was she who needed the hug. Each and every conference she and mom Judy attended was like getting your Bryanna dose of medical love.In one section, it stated she had combative behavior at times, I never saw it, although I knew the frustration our children have with NPD. All Bryanna ever showed was simple love and acceptance. No matter how low one felt, a visit with her renewed and shut off my whinning for she had the strength of many to live and did so with dignity. Bryanna loved because she was so loved by first her mom. Judy never let her down and showed her how to live each and every day, taking her places like Newport, like beaches and just plain horseback riding, where even there, the horses, mammoth in size knew they were in the presence of a spiritual and special child. In my heart I know she is finally free, laughing and running for the first time in many years, but I also feel she would be wondering why so many people were touched by her. An angel would never question why this love and nor did she, as for each day she lived she gave back double. She crossed my path for a reason, and I just hope I will do everything to make her smile even more. I have been honored and graced to have met her and I only wish her Godspeed. From Michelle on December 9th, 2006 I remember in 5th grade when we used to set in the same table at lunch and talk about how our day was going and what we were going to do when we go home. I remember when we would be on the play ground and we would pretend to be witches. We would watch Harry Potter and the next day we would say the spells and try to cast them on some one. Also at lunch we would alway talk about how much we LOVED Aaron Carter and how one day we would go see him in concert together. I still remember how we used to tell jokes to each other and her laughing her head off. I'm going to miss that laugh. She was the kindest and the most beautiful person I have ever meet and I was so lucky to be her friend. From Jennie Giordano on December 9th, 2006 I will always remember Bryanna's great sense of humor and contagious laughter. Having a New York accent, Bryanna would tease me and say "You talk funny!" She would then laugh and laugh. One day at lunch Bryanna called our school principal over to the table and said, "Mr. Zepecki, she talks funny!" He replied, "No, Bryanna, she doesn't talk funny, you hear funny!" Bryanna found his reponse so hysterical that we all began to laugh along with her. This became quite the joke for a very long time. I feel lucky to have shared those special times with her. From Judy DeSouza (Mom) on December 30th, 2006 Bryanna was the greatest gift in my life from God. She was a beautiful child and I was so proud to be her mom. I told her every day I loved her. She brought me so much joy. When I sadly found out that Bryanna had this terminal illness called Niemann-Pick Disease, I realized that this meant she would be mine to care and hold only for a short time. I wanted to make the most of our life together, so we did many things and traveled everywhere. She made me laugh, cry, taught me patience and smiling through adversity, strength and courage. She touched so many people's lives with her smile and positive spirit. Watching her body decline with this disease over these past years, brought much deep pain to me to watch her suffer and to know that it was only a matter of time that she would be gone from me. The most difficult and biggest gift of love that I gave her was letting her go into a restful sleep and back to God where she will no longer suffer. I wanted to have one more week or month of that smile, but that would not have been fair to her. There is an huge emptiness in my heart and soul that can never be replaced with anything on this earth. I can still hear her words to me that since although she found it physically difficult to talk anymore, she would often struggle to get out "Are you okay Mom?" and "I love you mom." She will forever remain in my memory and heart forever. I love you too Bryanna. Love, mom. From Louise Ritter on December 12th, 2006 I will always remember Bryanna's beautiful smile and laughter she was a wonderful person inside and out. she will be deeply missed by everyone who knew her.I will always remember reading her favorite story books written by Junie B. Jones.Bryanna and I would take turns reading each page.I would call her my brown eyed angel whenever I saw her.I will never forget the summer of 2002 when I took care of her for the summer. My kids Brittany,Michael and Derek really enjoyed her company.Bryanna soon moved to Plainville,Ct.Then she moved back to Naugatuck in 2004-2005.She was a student in Mrs.Fletcher's class at City Hill School.My son Derek was and still is a student in her class.Then September of this year 2006-2007 Bryanna came to Naugatuck High School as a student in Mrs.Schact's class room where I had the pleasure to work with her and be her friend.Iwill always remember her as my brown eyed angel. From Sydney Morton on December 10th, 2006 Even if they had only known Bryanna for a moment and even if they had only met her once, everyone was touched by her. She was a beautiful girl who deserved the mother and father she was lucky enough to have received. I have never seen anyone love their child so much, Judy and Vander- I would be grateful to get any of the qualities you have or the love you have in your hearts. Never could I forget playing mail, whispering behind the couch or under the dinner table, and dancing with our disco ball. I could never forget her warming hugs, beautiful brown eyes, smile, heart of gold or her thumbs up. In fact, I'm sure no one could ever forget anything about Bryanna. It was her never fearing attitude that everyone has learned from and will always stay with them. Now, she is in heaven where she can play, dance and sing freely. She is now an angel, but to me, she lived everyday on earth as, and always was, an angel. I feel honored to have met and spent the time I did with Bryanna and I will always love her.