The Inspiration

Our inspiration for creating the Life is Worth Living Way was born out of the loss of our siblings. Of all the relationships we have, our brothers or sisters are the ones we are supposed to get the most time with. They are the co-keepers of our childhood. They are the people we compare and measure ourselves against — our brothers and sisters help mold our identities.

When we experience loss, we remember that life extends beyond this world, and that what we are doing now is just a small part of our overall eternal existence. We are reminded that our time here on earth is finite.

We wake up each morning, unaware of how our actions and words will affect the lives of those around us. Our siblings taught us many important lessons about impact. The impact they left on this world is felt even years later, and we now live our lives each day being mindful of the impact that we want to leave on this world.

Impact. Ultimately this is the only thing that will be felt and remembered by others when we leave this world.

We celebrate the lives that they lived. We cherish our memories, and we continue sharing their stories to spread the impact they left on us, to others throughout world. They are never truly gone — they are always here with us in spirit.

We hope after reading our sibling’s stories, you will question what impact you want to leave on the world while living the life is worth living way.

What do you want to be remembered for?

Brianne Kennedy

Jaclyn and Callie’s Sister

Brianne was only 19 years old at the time of her passing and she should have had many years left to explore this earth. Unfortunately, Brianne spent the majority of her teen years suffering from major depressive disorder. As a family, we knew she had struggled, we had worked to get her the help she needed, but we were not aware that she felt pain so deeply that she thought that life was no longer worth living. Brianne was unable to speak out and get the treatment that she so desperately needed due to the stigma that surrounds mental illness and suicide. If only we could go back in time and change the way people viewed mental illness – maybe she would still be with us today.

Brianne was our big sister. Our protector. Our role model. When thinking about Brianne, we immediately smile. Her smile could brighten up any room and her giggle was contagious. Brianne lived a vibrant life full of joy and she made our family laugh a little louder every day she was with us.

She was inquisitive and smart as ever. She had many dreams and aspirations for her life and she could have done anything she set her mind to. She loved deeply and lifted those up around her, even if she herself may have experienced darkness. Her kindness towards others was admirable and she always included the three of us younger sisters in everything she did.

We thought the world of Brianne. Brianne was a good listener and had this way of making you feel heard. It is because of this, we knew our voices were important from a young age and we knew the importance of using them. The love we felt from Brianne and still feel from our older sister has made us brave. We watched Brianne courageously fight and be open about her mental illness for years. It is because of Brianne’s love, courage and bravery that we share our stories today and live the life is worth living way.

Danny Heebner

Kim’s Brother

Danny Heebner was a loving brother, son, and friend who made everyone laugh.

Danny was known for his quick wit, dry humour and his million-dollar smile. He loved teasing people, and pushing my buttons - something I didn’t always appreciate but would always find humour in later. He was a sports fanatic, loved fancy and luxury cards, and knew every weird detail about both of these things.

Danny was my only sibling. He was my person. He has been woven into the fabric of my life since I was two years old. I assumed that we would have decades and decades to mature, to weave around each other’s lives in new and layered ways, and to hash over our childhood, compare notes, tracing the maps of how we became we we would someday be. Danny was 17 when he noticed a slight tremor in his hands, and after six years of being misdiagnosed, my 23 year old brother was handed a diagnosis that changed our lives forever; Juvenile Huntington’s Disease. Huntington’s Disease is a neurodegenerative disease with no treatment and no cure. While Juvenile HD is a much less common, but more severe early-onset form that begins in childhood or adolescence. It is a progressive disorder and treatment is supportive and focused on increasing quality of life.

Danny bravely fought this incurable disease for eight years prior to his passing, and while Juvenile HD took many things from Danny, including his ability to speak, it did not take his spirit. Throughout his entire fight with Juvenile HD, I didn’t hear him complain. He inspired me daily with his tenacity and courage to face the unknown, and uncertainties that lay in his path. He is one of my greatest teachers.

Danny taught me that every experience of grief, illness or loss has a story. We each have our stories to tell about the difficult times which have brought us to where we are today. He taught me that being human is both beautiful, confusing and messy. That life will amaze you in the most stunning ways, and it will also break your heart. That life will give you the kinds of lessons that help you bloom into the person you have always hope to be, and it will also carry within it the kinds of losses that stay with you, and mold you in uncomfortable ways.

Ultimately, Danny taught me how to love selflessly and how to see the world in HD; High Definition. He taught me that every moment should be cherished, because even our struggles make us realize our strengths. He taught me to be brave, follow my heart, and create a life worth living every single day. He showed me that you can write your own story, and fulfill all you have ever dreamed of, it just might not be in the way you expected. So walk the path you are given and play the cards you are dealt because this will be the story that you leave behind, the impact that is felt by the world. This is how Danny taught me to live the life is worth living way.