taken care of every aspect of my life, he made me smile, and told me off when I needed it. We’ve prayed together and sung... We’ve traveled together and seen a lot of doctors and in the end, I have chosen which road to take, and so far, it works out fine.” Focusing on building up her immune system with more fruits and vegetables, Larnia gambled on the controversial Di Bella treatment of somatostatin, melatonin and retinol. Unproven and considered a high-risk option, it worked out well for Larnia who is enjoying another December, one her doctors told her was impossible. Better than surviving, she is thriving. She is free of orthopedic supports. She is riding her bicycle again and will soon resume swimming. Her bones are doing well and the growth of the tumor has halted and even shrunk a little bit. While she is by no means cured, she is on a cancer management regimen. As she describes her health, “Right now, I am fine. I feel stronger and less dependent. I take long walks and...when it all started I couldn’t even go to the loo on my own and to get out of bed, I had to slide on the floor first, so that Alessandro could pick me up from the floor. The doctors now say that it looks like this can be a chronic disease, like diabetes. I’d be taking medication, but it won’t kill me.” She also found emotional support in Second Life®, where
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friends reacted to her struggle by showing how widely she was loved and admired. This writer organized Donna Flora A to Z, hoping to find twenty-five other bloggers willing to post an alphabet of Donna Flora designs to remind her that she was missed. The response was far beyond what was expected and in the end, sixty-four people participated, highlighting her gowns, shoes and jewelry in post after post. It was finished just as Relay for Life opened in March. As Larnia was too ill to prepare for the event, the pictures from Donna Flora A to Z were exhibited in her store. For those who had learned Larnia’s doctors did not expect her to see the summer, it was both gratifying and bittersweet to be able to express love and support while she lived to see it, to give her eulogy while she lived. Larnia was strengthened and sustained by the project. “The support that I got from SL® has been.... enormous. I have a brother in here and a lot of sisters who are far away, but I have felt them so close and their support has been fundamental to me. The love, time and feelings that these people have put in to the coming together of Donna Flora A to Z has touched me deeply. I was crying at every post that I read. Because the love and happiness that I have put all these years in my SL work came right back to me through all these people. Not one minute I have spent on SL is wasted. It all came back to me to support and to comfort me. It was totally unexpected, but beautiful.”