The story behind Kiernan

Shannon Kristin Kiernan

One of the most amazing people I knew.

Full of spirit, dreams, desires, and passions.

I met Shannon freshman year. My best friend Kasey was her roommate.

She was a quirky red head and we hit it off instantly.
This picture sums up her personality.

Totally my humor right?

We were partners in crime in Cancun.

She was always kind enough to "pimp" me out if need be.

(We didn't always dress like this...it was a theme party. Really.)

She was my roommate Junior and Senior year.

Some of the best memories I have are from those years.

The "boys" in the background are Juan and Jerry(i.e. Terry Bradshaw and Howie Long)

We rescued them from a dumpster. They lived with us for those 2 years. It was very hard saying goodbye to them.

We of course remained friends long after graduation.
Shannon had a restless spirit and often traveled all over.
She lived in Colorado for a few years.
I always joked that I lived vicariously through her.
I went out to visit her(one of my favorite vacations.)
She taught me how to snowboard.
Snowboarding was a great passion of hers.
A passion she took to an extreme.
She was often telling me of her snowboarding injuries.

Sadly, her adventurous nature would finally catch up with her.

On February 11, 2006, I received a call that Shannon had been in an accident. She had been going down a half pipe on a mountain in Maine, where she had been living. From what we gather, she made a jump and lost her balance. She landed on her head.
They say she was gone instantly and didn't suffer.

They kept her on life support long enough for her family to get up there and be by her side. She was an organ donor and saved many people that day. These people still contact Shannon's family thanking them for her generosity. Her heart saved a young man in Boston. Her liver and kidneys went to a few people. Her pancreas went to a man struggling with Type 1 diabetes for years. He now lives injection/insulin free. This was probably one of the most special ones to me since Type 1 diabetes hits too close to home for us.

We lost Shannon officially on February 12, 2006.
It was one of the toughest losses I have had to deal with.
Not only was it a tragic accident, but she had so many dreams she had yet to accomplish.

This picture is from one of the last days I saw Shannon.
This was at our engagement party and she was going to be one of my bridesmaids that May.
It was so difficult not having her with us.
I am happy Jeff and his family had a chance to meet her before the accident. Jeff's dad still talks about what a firecracker she was.

As you can see, Kiernan isn't just a cool Irish name to Jeff and me.
It is a way to honor and remember one of the most incredible people I knew.

Happy 32nd Birthday Shannon.
I love you and will miss you always.