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Legacy of Love

Natalie Collier

Natalie

Collier

This is Natalie Collier and this picture speaks volumes of the love Matt Collier has for his beautiful wife Natalie, and the love she has for him. Matt was diagnosed with brain cancer about 3 year ago, sadly he lost his battle just this year in July. Natalie has been so amazing for Matt since they met in high school about 25 years ago, and has been his caregiver over these last 3 years. They have four children, she was finishing up her doctorate degree, working and then the cancer diagnosis came. She continued the best she could in all the different roles she has in life. Like any role she has, Natalie took her role as caregiver to Matt very seriously and gave it her all. She was so supportive and helped Matt with anything he wanted. She was his rock and he was hers. Before Matt was diagnosed he had a hard time hearing people, and he would turn to Natalie for help in knowing what people were saying. After his diagnosis, Matt started having seizures. He would look to Natalie for help and she would smile at him, wink at him, touch his arm, anything she could do to let Matt know she was there. That brought him a lot of comfort. He was a lot more at ease when she was there. Some say, “she is his person.” The love they had for one another was phenomenal, even before his diagnosis. As the cancer continued to get worse, Natalie rarely left Matt’s side. He had a hard time communicating and he would forget things, she was right there to explain things to him & help him get out what he was trying to say. She had blankets made for him because he often got cold. They talked a lot and made decisions together about how to proceed with their battle of cancer. Once Matt could no longer walk, she got him a wheelchair. She was able to get a ramp built, so Matt could go outside. She would take him and their family on walks and do as many things as they could to continue to make memories. She took a leave of absence from work, so she could be with him and their family. She also had to help him shower, use the bathroom, shave, etc. His final days were spent with his beloved wife and family. Even though he was battling cancer, Matt was happy because he had his person, Natalie. One day Matt’s Mom was visiting and Matt was following Natalie with his finger as she walked from the family room to the kitchen. He just smiled as he watched her. His Mom then said, “she is your person,” and he nodded and smiled. Natalie kept her family smiling, she kept them laughing, and she kept them close. With this horrible situation that had happened to her family, she turned it into a chance to bring her family closer together. Through her example, she taught everyone around her numerous things, but the one that sticks out the most was what genuine love really looks like.