E
BOBCAT PRiD
n
Special Editio
Northeastern School District
January 8, 2016
Hope, I love you!
Hope was very important to me and I will never be the same. I was seven when I first met her and she never really liked me. Later in my life, I played football
with her brother, Robert Maldanado and she started to like me. We started dating when I was eleven and it was a dream that came true. We loved each other,
but the moment came when we found out she had cancer.
I stood by her side with her family and mine supporting her through everything. My brother, Mayson, and my cousin, Courtney,
were her best friends. We would gather at Hope’s house and hang out in the back yard with her brothers. Occasionally they would
drive over to my house and we would hang out and watch movies or go out to the back deck and watch the river flow by. On her
birthday when she was at the hospital, we had a special party for her. Nobody but her mother knew that I had purchased a birthstone ring for her. She saved my present for last. She was wondering what I got her because the box was so tiny. When she
opened it, she saw a green peridot. Everyone started tearing up because she was so happy and she hadn’t been showing that happiness in a long time. That day, however, wouldn’t compare the day I had an important question to ask her.
I was really nervous the day I went to her house to ask her to be my date for Homecoming. I sat next to her on her hospital bed
and asked in a nervous tone, “Would you go to Homecoming with me?” Of course, I already knew what she was going to say so I
shouldn’t have been so nervous. She squeaked out, “Yep!” The day of Homecoming I was incredibly nervous. When we got to
her house, she wasn’t ready, so I had a few minutes to calm down. Once she came into the room, she was more beautiful than I
could ever imagine. I had a limo come pick us up. We got into the limo and we one of her other best friends join us. We got to the
dance and Mr. Gay noticed that we had arrived. He made special arrangements for us to enter through a closer door so she wouldn’t have to wait in line and get tired. She was in some pain at the dance, but we still danced for an hour or hour and a half before
she had to sit down and rest. Next to where we were sitting was the photo booth. She looked at me with excitement and commented that she really wanted to get in and have our picture taken. The first picture we took was with her friend Rose. Hope put
on a crown, picked up a fake sword, and had loopy glasses for that picture. We took one final picture together – she was wearing
a Queen crown and I was wearing the King crown. The time in the booth will always be one of my cherished memories. This was
one of the last times we had together before she went into her coma.
When she went into the coma on Christmas Eve, I wasn’t able to be with her until two days later. She was still beautiful as ever even though she was in a lot
of pain. I got to say my final “Goodbye” and my final, “I love you!” I was a wreck when I found out she had passed.
Now, I am thankful for the support of my friends and family as they help me get through this rough time. Hope was a great girl. She was someone I loved
dearly and someone that I know you love too. My final words to her... “I love you Hope. If I had never met you, I wouldn’t be the man I am today. Thank
you. I know you are resting in peace Sweetheart and we will miss you, but will always love you.” ~ Austyn Hays
Dear Hope,
Thank you for teaching me to be a better person. I will
never forget you dressing my brother and I up in dresses
and girl’s clothing. Another funny moment is when we
were in the hospital and you would dance to your favorite
song. You taught me to stop and laugh even when I was
having a bad day. I will always love you!
Robert Maldonado
Love,
Your brother Robert
Austyn Hays
My tribute to Hope:
I met the person that I call my best friend, Hope, two years
ago when she moved into the house next to me. Her and I
had this instant click of a friendship; we knew it was obvious
on some level that we were going to be friends. We would
hang out after school every day and sleep over at one of our
houses whenever we could. Through all of the hanging out, I
learned how selfless and caring Hope was. She put others'
needs before her own, even with cancer or being in the hospital. For example: she would always make sure I was warm
enough, and if I wasn't she would cover me up with one of
her blankets so I would be. But not only was Hope selfless
and caring, she was also strong; she is the strongest person
I know. She did probably the hardest thing anyone could do,
and that's fight cancer. She dealt with the chemo treatments,
getting shots, taking a lot of medicine, and so much more.
I don't know how she did it. I know I wouldn't be able to.
Hope also didn't let the cancer stop her. She got me to join
the swim team with her, and she even beat me in some of
the events. She also went to school dances, like homecoming. I remember going out and being there to watch her try
on dresses until we found the perfect one. She looked gorgeous. I know she enjoyed going out that night at homecoming and being with people from school since that's all she
wanted. Because of this, in the last couple months, I would
hang out with her a couple times a week. I did this because I
wanted to and I knew how I would feel if I was in her shoes.
A lot of people thank me for being her friend, but the thing is,
she was a great friend and person to be around. I just enjoyed her presence and how she would always make me
smile. That's another thing Hope did, she made sure everyone around her was happy and laughing. In these two years,
she's had such an impact on me. She inspired me to keep
going even when things get tough- she knew how to keep
going on the first hand. She fought two long years of cancer
and it's sad that her battle had to come to an end. I won't
accept the answer of "she lost to cancer" because she didn't. Hope proved the doctors wrong numerous of times. They
told her she only had a few weeks to live, and she fought
another solid three months. She fought through the pain and
gave it all she had. She stayed optimistic and smiled
throughout the whole process. I couldn't ask for more from
her; she did great.—Rose Rush
Hope always put a smile on other people's face and put everyone else before herself. She cared for everyone. She inspired so
many people, and she will be greatly missed. Team Hope now,
Team Hope forever.
~Isha
Hope Westrick by Susan Barto
Over the course of my nineteen years of teaching at Northeastern, I have met and had several students make an impact on my life. Last
year, I was asked to do homebound instruction with Hope. I didn’t know what to expect as she had missed the previous year of school and I knew
she wasn’t feeling her best. What I found was a young woman who made my evenings as I spent more and more time with her. We spent more time
laughing over assignments and having fun racing each other with math questions as I was trying to make her lessons entertaining for the hour I was
with her each day. We laughed, we cheered, we cried, we learned, but most of all, we became a strong unit. Her mom would sit in the living room
and her brothers would go back and forth to their rooms or the refrigerator, but by the end of the hour, they had either stopped at the table to see
what we were laughing at or came in the room, sat down and joined us.
We were able to read my favorite book, The Outsiders. It became one of her favorites as well. We talked about gangs and how someone
can be so supportive of another during a rough time. We watched the movie and discussed which of the guys on the movie were cute and who we
thought was the cutest.
I remember sitting in the kitchen when she got the news that her cancer wasn’t on the x-ray and how we whooped and cheered. I remember the wig and the scarf she was contemplating wearing her first day back to school. She looked fabulous in both! The first day she returned to
school, she stopped by my room and said, “It’s going great Miss B! I am having the best day ever!” I watched her walk down the hallway so proud
that she had made it back.
I was so excited to hear that she had made it to Homecoming. She wanted to go to a big dance and get dressed up and feel special. She
looked beautiful and Austyn was so proud to be her escort.
When I think of Hope now, I know she is out of pain but she will never be out of our hearts. When I think of her, I will remember her in
the following way…
H – Honor to know this special young lady
O – Open to new ideas and thoughts
P – Pink her favorite color
E – Everybody’s friend
“Sometimes it isn’t
the teacher who inspires the student,
but the student who
inspires the teacher.
Thank you Hope
~ Dave Raymond
Mike Alessandroni
Hope. Your name was iconic. You fought like a warrior and were an inspiration for us all. I will always remember your
beautiful spirit of courage. Your wings were called and my prayers will include your peaceful and pain free eternal life
with our savior in heaven. Please say hi to all the Alessandronis up there. Save me a seat, girl. I got your back.
Good Morning my Beautiful Bobcats!
Any loss of life is tragic and when it is a member of our own BOBCAT community, the grief can run much
deeper. Over the recent Holiday Break, the NE community was saddened by the loss of one of our very own. After a
long and courageous battle with osteocarcoma, a form of bone cancer, Hope Westrick gained her wings and left this
earth on December 26. For any of you who knew this fighter, you know that the way she lived her life and the way
she put others before herself were a cherished part of her legacy. Hope Westrick epitomized the 5 challenges that
Rachel Scott challenges all of us to.
In the immortal words of Stuart Scott, you do not lose your battle with cancer when you die…….. but rather you win
by HOW you lived your life while you fought cancer and THIS my fellow Bobcats would classify Hope as a winner for
all ages and one that we can model our own lives after. Even in her last days, she made her family open gifts that
she herself shopped for, purchased with her own money, and most importantly she rejoiced from watching their faces
and smiles as they opened her heartfelt gifts. She cared more about making others happy than she cared about any
gifts purchased for her. She pushed them to open the gifts that she had purchased for them earlier despite their
wanting to wait until Christmas morning. Perhaps she knew the end was near......but this was HOPE, putting others before herself always.
Hope recently attended the NHS homecoming dance with a special friend of hers and one of our own fellow bobcats
on our Orange TEAM, Austin Hayes. We must also offer our own NMS Bobcat support for her brother Robert
Maldonado who is also currently a 7th grade student on our blue team. Prior to transitioning into our First 5 today,
please join me in a moment of silence in the memory of our own Hope Westrick……….
Thank you.
Mr. Alessandroni
Click here to see Mr. A. present Hope with Resiliencey Award:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybiofcLZzls&feature=youtu.be
As one of the nurses at the Middle School, I seldom saw Hope for any complaint. It was rare for her to visit
our nursing office. She was a fighter unlike any I have seen over the years. Her strength and determination
was truly an inspiration for everyone. She will always be remembered for her beauty both inside and out. I
know in my heart of hearts, she is now resting peacefully in God's loving arms. Rest in peace sweet girl.
You're home now. ~Annette Bergstrom
Click on the following link to see clips of Pink Out Day for Hope: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7p14je60Onk
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In response the the NMS First Five prompt, hundreds of heartfelt letters were written to either Robert,
Austyn, or Hope's family. Mr. A will provide the letters to these folks at the viewing.
You were put on this earth to
achieve your greatest self,
to live out your purpose,
and to do it courageously.
~Dr. Steve Maraboli
Hope did that...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jugKlN2E1Yg&authuser=0