In honor of my daughter Ava, who was the bravest person I knew. Though she may no longer be with us, her spirit and strength will forever live on in our hearts. Through her courageous battle with cancer, Ava showed us all what true bravery looks like. She will always be in my heart.

With all my love,

Dad
Jerry Weinstein

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I met Ava 59 years ago. She was a most adorable child, who had a serious problem with her vision. Sadly, that vision problem impacted both her capabilities and her feelings about herself. As a result, she spent her lifetime trying to find the place she truly belonged: where to live; who to be with; and what to do. In great part - thanks to Tracy and Sam - it seems that the last place was where she felt most at home.

While her thinking was profoundly rare and original, many of the greatest conflicts of her life happened within herself and who she thought she was, or should be.

Longing for a different life, Ava limped across the borders of space and time … between torment and talent, tragedy and triumph … to follow her myriad heart's desires and free-spirited yearnings. The only constant was her love for her dad, her brother, and her late mother, each of which knew no bounds.

But when it came to fighting her breast cancer, Ava had her own way of dealing with it. Here, for example, are some of her thoughts that I copied/pasted from a 2021 email she sent me:

"I'll let you in on a little secret, chemotherapy is like a drug addict walking into a substance with NO regard for the devastation that it will leave in its path. So if I can do it for a buzz I can undoubtedly do it for life. The Comedown is so worth the outcome."

"I believe that a family member like you has my back and my best interest unconditionally. So I will follow your lead Like a Warrior. Fearlessly putting one foot in front of the other."

And so Ava fought her cancer like a true warrior, for just about seven years. Then, it was time to let go. Ava, rest in peace. You made your mark on this world and your absence is felt by all of us.

Your aunt through the good and the not-so-good,
Sherry

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