Catharine Johanna Fetzer was born on July 6, 1977 at Orrville Community Hospital. She was the youngest of 3 siblings (and the cutest!). Josh was the oldest born in 1969, then Anna (the author of this here biography) in 1974. As a child she was adventurous and not afraid to get herself in some trouble. She climbed trees, ran around the neighborhood, played “ghost in the graveyard” during summer nights, and somehow convinced our mother to buy her a Barbie, after I was expressly forbidden to do so. She hated confrontation and would often disappear for hours when Josh and I would fight, as siblings do. She very rarely provoked an argument or brought any tension to the family.
Catharine, like our brother Josh, was born with chronic kidney disease. More specifically, she was diagnosed with glomerular sclerosis of the kidneys (scarring or hardening of the tiny blood vessels within the kidney) right after her birth. Like our brother, her form of chronic kidney disease deteriorated her kidneys slowly and gradually. Both Josh and Catharine grew up like any normal child through their first 10+ years. It was when they both became teenagers that the disease began to progress into end-stage renal disease (ESRD). ESRD is a permanent loss of kidney function.
From that time on, Catharine would rely on the 2 forms of dialysis, hemo and peritoneal, to do the work of kidneys. When she was 12, she received her first kidney transplant, which failed shortly after the surgery. She went back on dialysis and continued on with her life. During all this, she was in school, acting in plays, playing lacrosse and most importantly, maintaining the best possible attitude about everything she was dealing with. I NEVER, heard Catharine complain once about having this disease. Yes, she would feel like crap and tell you so, but she never once expressed the sentiment of “why me?”
Catharine really came into her own when she went to college at Notre Dame College in S. Euclid, Ohio. She met some really wonderful friends and was able to show that bright, hilarious, smart person she always was. She was accepted at Notre Dame and she thrived. It was during her sophomore year at Notre Dame when she received her second kidney transplant. This time, things seemed to go well. She left the hospital and was a new person, free from dialysis. Her physical maturity had been slowed and stunted during all that time on dialysis and once she had that new kidney, it was almost like her body picked up right where it left off. Well, almost… she was only 4’11’’ and she never really grew much taller. She gallivanted all over the eastern US with her best friend Darcy to see Broadway musicals, to go to Niagara Falls, to NJ to see her friend Steve. All because she could, for the first time in her adult life, she had the freedom to do the things she wasn’t able to do before.
Unfortunately, this kidney did not last. For some reason, Catharine’s body fought kidneys and no matter how hard she and the doctors tried, they could not save it. And so, it was back on dialysis. Catharine lived with her friend Darcy in Cleveland Heights at this time up until her death. Darcy was like Catharine’s right arm: Pollux and Castor, as they called themselves. The two of them were inseparable. I’ll leave it to Darcy to tell you how much she loved Catharine, but Darcy became another sister to me. She is part of the family, whether she likes it or not!
Catharine worked at Hillcrest Hospital as a unit secretary and dreamed of going to nursing school. One medical emergency after another derailed those plans, but she was definitely looking forward to the future when she would pursue this career. She would have been a great nurse. I could imagine her being one of the most competent and caring nurses, having had all the experience she had with the medical system.
On December 21, 2004, at the age of 27, Catharine died in her home, as a result of the many complications of her disease.
Catharine was so smart. She had a wicked sense of humor and loved to laugh. She cared about people and the world. She loved the X-Files and David Duchovny, Apple computers, The Beatles, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Laurie Notaro books, Rent, the musical, her pj’s, her bed, a fine home cooked meal made by her mom, her friends and her family. She was never shy in telling you that she loved you.
She also loved her birthday. I don’t remember when it started, but on one of her last birthdays, she asked everyone she knew to give blood as their gift to her. She even made stickers for people to remind them that July 6 was her birthday and all she wanted was for everyone to give blood. It is in remembrance of her total and complete awesomeness, her bravery, her acceptance of life’s tribulations with grace and dignity that we, her friends and family, carry on this tradition today. Catharine was the glue that held us all together, and she made us all better for knowing her!
