"Liss Kids"
Lissencephaly means smooth brain
Erica's brain had no convulsions. She also had Microcephaly, which
means that her brain was smaller then average.
Developmentally, Erica was a two month infant. She sensed
emotions around her (good and bad) and responded in a like
manner. An example of this was if the sounds or colors coming
from the TV annoyed her, she would let you know by becoming
vocal. Change the channel to "happy" and she got
quiet again!
Erica had a taste for music. She loved listening to Elvis
or Barbershop Quartet music. The nurses from her PICU (Pediatric
Intensive Care Unit) witnessed this. If they played this music
she was content -and laughed even when they drew blood -Erica
had an infectious giggle.
"Erica seemed to have a sixth sense. She can felt your "vibes," and she was a source of inspiration. Unless she was physically ill, Erica was always happy. We started referring to her as our rainbow. Therein lies the inspiration: No matter what life threw at us, no matter how bad our mood, there was always a smile and a rainbow. Erica gave us that. In her own way she showed us that she cared for us.
"Grandama Rusty" - April 2000