Our Dear Little Cannon Passes Away

Our little sunshine, Cannon Rigby Copeland, passed away peacefully at home in his mother’s arms on Friday, Dec. 13, 2013, the son of Dr. Kent Copeland and Natalie Copeland, both of Sunnyside, Washington.

#Cannon was just three years old.  He was the best little brother his older sister, Ella (7 years old) and older brother, Ethan (11 years old) could have ever wished for.  Beyond his immediate family, Cannon was loved dearly by his grandparents, John and Brenda Robbins of Logan, Utah, and George and Laura Copeland of Green Cove Springs, Fla.

#Cannon was also loved by many adoring aunts, uncles and cousins, church family and our community friends. There were many households that said Cannon’s name in their family prayers on a daily basis and we know that because of the faith of those around us, his life was enriched and blessed. 

#Being diagnosed with a terminal illness called Menkes disease, Cannon never developed typical skills such as holding up his head, sitting up or crawling.  Without ever speaking a word, Cannon taught us the true love of Christ. The love that he radiated was infectious and anyone that spent time with him knew there was something special about him. 

#He touched many lives and continues to bless us with his legacy as a true angel. Cannon always loved listening to beautiful music and watching twinkling lights.  It is no coincidence that now we will be able to celebrate the reverent season of the birth of our Savior with the tender reflection of Cannon’s short, but very precious life. 

#Funeral services will be held Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2013, at 11 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, at 1101 E. Lincoln Ave. in Sunnyside, Washington.   Memorial services will be held on Friday, December 20, 2013, at the American Fork Cemetery.  (From the Obituary written by his mother in the Sunnyside Newspaper.)

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Yes, the call in the middle of the night on December 13th, 2013, was one we had all knew would happen one day, but had been dreading.  Our dear little Cannon passed away just three months before his fourth birthday.  He beat all the odds and lived far longer than most little boys who have the disease called Menkes.  It is a terrible disease that we are all hoping and praying that they will find a cure for.  To learn more about it or to donate to help find a cure, you may click on the following site:

http://themenkesfoundation.org/

 To have such high hopes for a little child born that appeared to be so normal, but then about eight or nine months started going backwards in his progression, was devastating.  Then to find out that little Cannon was born with a terminal disease was almost more than one could handle.  

Cannon's older brother Ethan and sister Ella were so excited about their new baby brother.

 He had very wrinkly skin and wiry hair (which are common in Menkes babies, but who knew that?)  Not even the doctors were alarmed.  He looked like a perfectly healthy little child.

Cannon had the most beautiful eyes and longest eyelashes you have ever seen!  Through those eyes you felt like you were looking into his beautiful, special spirit.  

He was trying to reach for his toys and even trying to roll over when you would lay him on his stomach.

He even tried solid food, but that wasn't too successful.

Soon, Kent and Natalie started noticing that not only was he getting behind developmentally, he also wasn't able to swallow very well.  After doing much research, Kent (without any medical assistance) found out what only could be the worst diagnosis--he feared Cannon had the terminal disease Menkes.

They flew him to the most renowned doctor of Menkes in Maryland for the test, and found it to be true.  It was earth-shattering news for all of us!

At first, he was fitted with a nose tube to feed him.

 He loved his binky, but that soon became an impossibility because he could no longer suck.

 I'll never forget the day George and I went with Kent and Natalie's family to the Seattle Childrens' Hospital where little Cannon would have surgery to put a tube straight into his stomach for feeding.  That was a very scary time for all of us!  We just weren't sure how he would react since so few people know about this disease.

We were so blessed to have him fare very well, and from that day forward, he had to be fed through this tube.

 They tried the continuous feeding machine, but it wasn't too successful for them, and they ended up just putting the injection of his food directly into the tube every hour.  It was something you had to always be thinking about--but no one every complained!  Even Ethan and Ella got very good at doing it!

 Another time I was in Washington, Cannon got an infection around his feeding tube.  He was very ill and stayed in the hospital for several days.  Again, little Cannon struggled through and got well!  Amazing!

All of these memories will forever be etched in my mind of the trials a baby who has Menkes goes through, as well as the constant care a family puts forth to take care of this little child.  But even more than that, I will never forget the love exhibited every single day by Cannon's family.  He definitely knew he was loved!

Wherever they went, they made sure Cannon was there to enjoy the outing with the family.  He may not have remembered all of it at the time, but now he does, and he knows he was never left out of anything!

When Ethan went to a football camp at Brigham Young University, they told some of the players about Cannon, so Justin Sorenson (the kicker for the BYU team), grabbed Cannon and ran down the field with him so that he could have that experience like his brother did.

They had so much fun together as a family!

It was always so fun to be invited along when they went on road trips!

In front of the Mormon Temple in Brigham City, Utah

 I will eternally be grateful that Kent and Natalie came to Florida just three weeks before Cannon passed away.  We had no idea this was the last time we would see him alive, but it was so fun to hold and kiss his sweet little cheeks.  Here we were at Universal Studios with Kim and the kids.

 He, also, got to go to "Wild Florida" and go on an airboat ride.

Yes, he was truly a loved little guy who without words said how much he loved those around him.  His very countenance exhibited love to all those who even came in contact with him.  He taught some huge lessons to both the Copeland and Robbins family, as well as his church family, and community.  We all love and miss him so much!
  But, we have the assurance that he is now in a place without the burden of a body that he could not do the things he wanted to do physically here on earth.  We know he is in the spirit world where he is experiencing much happiness.    We, also, know that if we will live our lives following the commandments as we know we should, we will be with him again!  How does our family have that absolute assurance?  Because of the testimony we have of Jesus Christ.  To learn more about our beliefs, you may click on the following link:

http://www.lds.org/?lang=eng 

Definitely, a forever family!

While we were in Washington, I took many pictures that are far too personal to post--the family dressing little Cannon and placing him in his casket, the family saying good-bye, until we meet again.  But, I did want to share some of the special moments I could post that are not to be forgotten. 

There is no way I could document how many visitors came to Kent and Natalie's home to talk about their memories of Cannon, to bring food, to take the kids for little outings, to help the family through this difficult time of loss, but I did want to post this one.  The Temple President of the Richland, Washington Temple and his wife invited Kent and Natalie's family, plus those of us who were staying with them at the time, over for dinner.  It really was one of the best meals ever and one of the kindest gestures of love I've ever felt in time of need.  We all truly felt their love and the Savior's love through their compassion.  They have sat behind Kent and Natalie's family every week at church when they weren't on assignment and said they watched the constant kisses given to Cannon.  They truly loved Kent and Natalie's family.

As you can see, they have lots of grandchildren, too, so they had such fun things for Ethan and Ella to participate in after dinner.

 

 Cannon always loved lights--he would have loved their Christmas lights surrounding their home.

 I, also, loved how Ethan's team dedicated one of their championship games to Cannon.  This particular game, they won!

 Many of them had attached a copper ribbon to their shoe as a sign to find a cure for Menkes.

This all meant so much to Ethan.  One evening all the team parents came to Kent and Natalie's home with lots of food and expressed their love to the family.  Kent has been the coach of Ethan's team ever since they were little boys.

 So many friends and people of the community came the night of the viewing.  Natalie and her friend had put together a slide presentation of Cannon's life which many people stayed and watched more than one time.  It was such a sweet presentation.  

Natalie and her sister had set up a beautiful display of many of the memories of Cannon.

 

 Such a tiny casket for a little guy with such a big heart that he could touch us all with his love while he was here!

These pictures were taken as we got ready for the funeral the next day.  All of the guys wore yellow ties because "You are my sunshine," was a theme in Cannon's life.

As you notice, Kent had a cast on his thumb.  He had tripped over a pipe that was sticking out on his lawn a couple of days before Cannon died, but it had swollen, and he was in so much pain, that on the day Cannon died, he actually had to go in for emergency surgery to have pins put in for a torn ligament and chipped bone.  He was hurting physically and mentally throughout this entire time!

The funeral was absolutely fantastic--so uplifting and loving.  Kent, Natalie, Ethan, and Ella all spoke about their sweet little Cannon, plus expressed their knowledge of the gospel and the fact that they would see him again.  The large chapel was filled to capacity with about a third of the cultural hall, also, filled.  They are so well-known and loved in the community.  It seemed that almost everyone in the community knew Cannon.  Even a lady on the plane that I met flying there told me exactly about my little grandson when I told her that I was going out to his funeral!  What an amazing effect he had on everyone that knew about him!

Another very thoughtful event that happened was that Joy Rogers Gardner flew from Arizona to sing at Cannon's funeral.  She has been in several of the Mormon Church's productions and has made recordings.  She called and asked if she could do this as a gift to Kent and Natalie and Craig, another of our sons.  She went through high school with Kent, her husband and both Kent and Craig went to dental school together, and Craig was her brother, Chet's, best friend.  She absolutely did the most beautiful job!
 

After the funeral, following the little casket out.

A wonderful meal was provided by the ladies at the church.  I took some group pictures afterwards.

Natalie with Erin, Kent's partner's wife, and a friend of Natalie's.

The doctor and his wife who have not only helped in the treatment of Cannon, but been best friends, too.  His wife, Britanny, and Natalie have a photography business together.


We so appreciate all they have done to help out Kent and Natalie throughout this entire time.  They are such wonderful people!

Some of Natalie's friends.

Such a beautiful day of tributes for little Cannon and for acknowledging our dependency on our Savior.  Kent and Natalie decided that they wanted to bury Cannon in American Fork, Utah, where she had grown up and where some family plots were.  We, also, had a beautiful funeral there with many family members from that area, and then laid him to rest in the American Fork Cemetery.  My niece, Jennifer Anderson, who is a professional photographer took many pictures there.  I'm sure Natalie will be putting them on her blog soon.  Jennifer did such a beautiful job of capturing so many feelings and the love felt that day.  Thanks so much, Jennifer!

 Pictures of some of the sisters-in-law as they came into Utah for the funeral.

The following pictures were taken after the funeral and burial in American Fork.  We all met at our favorite family restaurant, Chuck-a-Rama.  I put the places from where everywhere came from to get the idea of how many places and states were involved in order to be there.  Everyone was so kind and willing to come who loved Kent and Natalie and their family so much.

 The cousins always have fun together

 Hannah from Utah and Ella from Washington

 Jenna from Florida and Lauren from Utah

Carter from Florida and Connor from Utah

 Amy from Texas and Angie from Utah

 Rhonda, a former room mate and long-time friend of both Natalie and Amy from Arizona, along with Dr. Weaver's wife who flew down from Washington for the funeral here in Utah.

 Alison and John from California

 Kennedy from Texas was really enjoying the food.

 Craig and Cassie, along with Kennedy and Riley, from Texas

 Natalie with two of her life-long friends from Colorado and Utah

 Kent with one of his former mission companions in Guatemala

 Carter and Brady from Florida

Cameron and Anne from Texas

 Kim and Kyle from Florida

Ethan from Washington and Kade from Utah

We so appreciate all of those who have sent their condolences and well-wishes to the entire family--for the love given to both Kent and Natalie from parents and brothers and sisters who attended the funerals in either Washington or Utah.  Every single sibling (Kent and Natalie each have six siblings), plus most of the spouses were there, plus many cousins.  Thanks for the support you each gave that is so important in good times and sad.  May we all endure to the end in love and live the way our Savior would have us do so is our constant prayer.