This is a great story for so many reasons ...Remembering Carrie Godbey is easy, because she made it that way.
She was the good kid, the generous kid, the kid who loved sunflowers, the always-smiling high school student who helped the special-needs children off the bus.
She attended Murray State University because the school gave her an opportunity to ride horses -- and she wanted a degree in elementary education.
She became active in the Baptist Student Union at Murray. She met her husband, Lawrence Godbey, at Murray. They graduated in 2000, then got married in Murray during graduation week because all their friends and family were already on hand.
She began teaching kindergarten and first grade at Frayser Elementary School. She loved her work and her kids so much that her first year, the principal had to call her into his office to ask her to quit carrying them down the hall.
Later on, she would ask her students to write letters saying what they wanted for Christmas. Reflecting their home lives, none of their wishes (mostly dolls, TV creatures, Nike wristbands) exceeded $10. Every year, with her family's help, every child got what he or she wanted for Christmas.
Carrie and Lawrence Godbey wanted to have children of their own. Conception proved difficult, so two embryos were implanted through in vitro fertilization. The odds were 10 percent that one would take; Carrie became pregnant with twins.
There were medical worries. She had been born with a bicuspid aorta valve -- two working valves instead of the normal three. The condition was monitored, but she was always strong, athletic and healthy. She passed a full cardiovascular workup before the in vitro procedure.
Carrie was eight months pregnant June 25 when she felt severe chest pains. She was taken to Suburban Hospital, where doctors found a slight tear in her descending aorta -- worrisome, but not considered life-threatening.
She was transferred to Norton Healthcare: Kosair Children's Hospital. Her twins -- Sydney Elizabeth and Matthew Logan -- were born about 4:30 a.m. June 26. Both were healthy, weighing in at about 4 pounds each.
Their mother kissed the twins once before they were moved to intensive care. She was then taken to a cardiac observation area. She died nine hours later when her aorta failed. She was 29.
Feb. 3 would have been her 30th birthday. To honor that, six of Carrie's co-workers at Frayser invited her mother, Janette Smith, to a school birthday party -- a "woman-teacher-mother thing."
They shared cake and told Carrie Godbey stories: the Christmas presents; her best-dressed ways; her forever smiles; the little boy who brought a sunflower bouquet to class.
The still-healthy twins are being raised by the entire family, a strong combination of fathers, brothers, daughters-in-law and husband. Lawrence Godbey's co-workers at ResCare shared enough of their personal leave days to give him six months' time with the twins -- with pay.
The family also started a $1,000 Carrie Godbey Memorial Scholarship with the Jefferson County Public Education Foundation. Call Linda Johnson at 485-6636 for more information.
The money will go to a Jefferson County public high school senior in academic good standing who's been accepted to Murray State -- preferably a student majoring in elementary education. The other stipulation is that the recipient must have completed at least 20 hours of community service.
Now you know why.
--Bob Hill
The Courier-Journal
Kelly came to visit this weekend! She called us Friday and then came down Saturday afternoon and stayed until Sunday afternoon. Catching up with old friends is always a good time. Her visit included the Murray State basketball game in Martin, Tenn., as well as many stories of her adventures in Mexico. We're hoping she returns to Kentucky for good in a couple months after a year down there straightening out paperwork so her Hispanic husband is here legally and travel back and forth can be part of their lives.
