Levenia

Some of you out there are probably wondering why it’s been so long since I last posted. Well, it’s been both a difficult and very busy last couple of weeks, in more ways than one. In the coming days I’ll write up a post or two about some of the fun things I’ve been up to and other less fun things that have been taking up some of my time lately, but for this post I’d like to focus on Levenia.
Levenia Adom was a grad student here in the Department of Meteorology at Penn State. I TA’d Meteo 003 with her in my first semester, Fall 2005. She came in to the department a semester before I got here, and was due to earn her Master’s Degree after this current semester, researching climatology under Paul Knight. Unfortunately she fell ill last spring and was diagnosed with rather advanced-stage colon cancer. She underwent six months of chemotherapy, and she seemed to be responding well. She was back on campus often, keeping up with classwork, research and her TA responsibilities. She was a very private person, and so very few people even knew she was sick; she only told her closest friends, because she didn’t want anyone’s pity or sympathy, and didn’t want to be treated any differently than anyone else. She was also always extremely positive and strong, to the point where you wouldn’t have a clue that anything could possibly be wrong. I knew she had been sick in the spring, but that was it. I didn’t know that she had cancer until October, when Kerrie asked for prayer for her at Bible study one evening.
Levenia really seemed to be doing well until mid-December, when a couple of medical setbacks landed her in the hospital for a period of time. She got well from that and was released before Christmas, and so was able to spend the holidays at home with her family in New York. Unfortunately, a week or two into the new semester here at Penn State, she fell ill again with other complications and had to go back to the hospital. Initially it seemed like it would just be another relatively short stay, but she started going downhill over the course of the following week. During the week the doctors found out that her cancer was back and spreading aggressively, but that she was not well enough to begin the aggressive chemotherapy that was needed. The prognosis wasn’t good. Then sometime on Sunday night the 28th or Monday morning the 29th, Levenia’s health started to take a dramatic and unexpected downturn, and there was nothing the doctors could do. Family members were called on Monday, and her father tried to get here from New York City as soon as he could, but couldn’t arrive until nearly 11:30pm. Her mother, who had been in State College for the almost two weeks since Levenia was re-admitted to the hospital, had a diabetic episode sometime on Monday and herself had to be admitted to the hospital; Levenia’s sister (an undergrad at PSU) went to be with their mom. That left Levenia’s closest friends here at Penn State, Amy, Kerrie, Amber, Maria C. & Maria H., along with the hospital chaplain, to be at Levenia’s bedside in the hours before she passed away, at about 9:45pm. I’m so glad that they were all able to be there with her and for her.
Kerrie had called me from the hospital around 4:30 or 5pm to let me know that Levenia was dying. After crying for a bit in my office with that sudden news, I went around 4th floor Walker and started breaking the news to whoever was still there and hadn’t left yet for the day. Then I started calling as many of the other grad students as I could, to let them know. The news was a extreme shock to everyone, because almost nobody knew that she was even sick. (The professors were notified the next morning at a faculty meeting, and they were equally shocked.) I spent some time over at Daniel & Katie’s place, called some more people, and also got a call there from Kerrie letting me know that Levenia had passed away. I know I didn’t get around to calling everyone (or calling everyone back after that point to let them know), but by that time I was emotionally and physically spent. After I left Daniel & Katie’s to drive to Walker to let Andrew know (and Meaghan, who also happened to be doing homework late), I flipped on the radio (it was on KLOVE, the Christian station in town), and the first lyrics I heard went something like:
“Don’t cry for me
For now I’m free
To dance with the angels
…
And worship the Creator”
That really struck me and gave me comfort. Somehow I don’t think it was a coincidence that that particular song was playing at that particular time. I think God was answering a prayer of mine.
So last week in particular was a very sad one in Walker Building. I know I didn’t get much work done, though I did manage to force myself to do homework for awhile on Wednesday night.
Levenia’s funeral was this past Friday evening in the Bronx in New York City. Kerrie, Amber, Dr Clothiaux and Dr Nese all made the five-hour drive to attend. Here is Levenia’s obituary, which was in the bulletin that Kerrie brought back:
~~~~~
“Sunrise, November 30, 1981.
Sunset, January 29, 2007.
Levenia Lacole Naa Amerley Adom, affectionately known as Leve, was born on November 30, 1981, in St. Luke’s Hospital in Harlem, to proud parents Eben and Ruth Adom. She was the older of two children.
Leve attended the Children Storefront in Harlem, New York, from kindergarten through 8th grade. She then attended high school at The Masters School, an elite private school in Dobbs Ferry, NY, where she studied theatre. During high school, she attended Barbizon Modeling School in White Plains, where she wanted to pursue a modeling career and even did a modeling show with other models at the age of 15.
In 2000 she was accepted to Connecticut College, where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Meteorology in 2004. Continuing her education, Leve was accepted into Penn State University’s graduate school program in Climatology, where she was to receive her Master’s Degree in May 2007. She worked as a teacher’s assistant for Dr. Jon Nese, a top meteorologist for The Weather Channel. For her first time on TV, she did forecasting for Penn State’s campus. Last semester, her GPA was an amazing 4.0. Levenia loved acting, and performed in many plays from elementary school through college. Her performances were always spectacular, receiving standing ovations.
Although Leve achieved a lot academically, she was equally spectacular outside academia. Leve was a giving person, and loved by all who were blessed by her presence. She was an amazing woman who had a kind soul and loving heart. She was indeed an African Queen.
As she walks into the Kingdom of Heaven, she will forever be missed by her parents, Ruth and Eben Adom, sister LaMonique Adom, grandfather Paul Plowden, uncles, aunts, cousins, friends, numerous loved ones and admirers. Her aunt, Leola Ballard, grandmother Rovenia Ballard, and grandmother Dorea Adom preceded her in death.”
~~~~~
Levenia truly was an amazing person. I didn’t know her all that well, but I never once heard her say anything bad about anybody, or complain about anything. Nobody else here can ever recall any such things coming out of her mouth either. Even when I would gripe to her about how much work grading a particular Meteo 003 lab was, or a problem on one of our Rad Tran assignments or this or that, she would just shrug it off and smile. She was always positive. Always strong. Always smiling. Always kind and friendly. And she will always be missed by all of us who knew her.