Hillary Clinton
Related: About this forumHillary Clinton Comforts Family of Teen Supporter Who Died Last Week
"The family of Caileigh McDowell shared a private moment with Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton before her rally Wednesday evening at Carnegie Mellon University."
"Caileigh, 17, a staunch Clinton supporter, died Saturday of complications from Crohn's disease. She lived in Forest Hills and attended Woodland Hills High School."
"Family members spent 15 minutes with the former secretary of State in a room at CMU, said Caileigh's aunt Lynn Banaszak, who works as executive director of the Disruptive Health Technology Institute at CMU."
She was very touched and very compassionate about the enormity of the loss to our family, said Banaszak, who was in the meeting with Caileigh's parents, younger brother and others. We explained how bittersweet it was that we were standing with her without our Caileigh, who admired her so much.
The story of Caileigh, who by all accounts was an amazing young woman, has hit the Pittsburgh area hard. She couldn't wait to turn 18 and vote for Hillary Clinton. There are some nice pics at the link:
http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/10266122-74/caileigh-banaszak-clinton
Cha
(305,861 posts)blue neen
(12,439 posts)"Caileigh McDowell wanted only one thing for her 18th birthday: to register for the upcoming presidential election so she could vote for Hillary Clinton."
"A full-blown political junkie, feminist and equal rights proponent by age 8, Caileigh once shook the hand of President Bill Clinton during a Pittsburgh rally, attended a 2008 Hillary Clinton town hall meeting and penned a letter to President Obama."
Most kids do not care about politics, she wrote Obama at age 11 while a student at Edgewood Elementary School. I do. I've realized that I can be anything that I want to be. You have helped me realize that.
"Caileigh's birthday would have been April 11. She died Saturday of Crohn's disease, discovered, her family said, after an intestinal blockage led to her hospitalization in February at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC."
http://triblive.com/obituaries/newsstories/10257055-74/caileigh-clinton-hills
It's such a tragedy. They had video of this story on local WTAE, with Caileigh's aunt talking about the family's meeting with Hillary. I can't find that video yet.
Sorry, Caileigh McDowell didn't get her wish.
Gothmog
(155,550 posts)BlueCaliDem
(15,438 posts)blue neen
(12,439 posts)It's a very touching story. I feel so bad for her family.
pandr32
(12,278 posts)I hope the McDowell family will be special invitees. Their daughter sounds like an amazing young lady--such a sad loss.
blue neen
(12,439 posts)Good suggestion.