Before I understood much about her illness, I used to invite Heather out to the bars with friends. I remember one night she joined us, which didn't happen often, and we had a great time. The night ended with my friend giving her a piggyback ride all the way to her car, which was half just for fun but half because she said she was a bit tired.

It wasn't until over a year later that I knew much about her illness. In retrospect, I recognized this moment as one of the signs of her strength and determination.

It's possible she couldn't have walked back to her car if she had to -- but she had good humor, good fun, and she asked for the help she needed to live as much of the life she wanted as she could.