Wanka Tate

My handsome Man; Wanka Tate = Sacred Wind

A heart of gold stopped beating,
Two shining eyes at rest.
God broke my heart to prove,
He only takes the best.
God knows you had to leave me,
But you did not go alone.
For part of me went with you
The day he took you home.

Wanka Tate
means (Sacred Wind) your Lokota name.

The day you were born, your mom came to our home. Her keeper had left for a week and no one was there to care for her. We, allow her into our house where you were born. You and your siblings, stayed with us until you were old enough to go eat, on your own.

I remember the day you came to stay, all your siblings were there too, and I went to each and every one of you and asked if you wanted to stay. When I came to you, I placed my index finger on your nose and asked you if you wanted to stay. You took your paws and placed them on my finger looking in my eyes, yes, you were the one that stole my heart.

As time went by, you were climbing the Christmas tree. Then when my ex-husband hurt me you crawled upon the chair, rapped your little body around my neck trying to heal it for me. I could feel the heat and the love; you would not leave my side. For the next year you stayed next to me healing me so I walk and become what I am today.

Now it was my turn to care for you; the last 8 months have been hard, I would not trade them for anything in the world. I remember the day, you came into the house. You lay one floor and look up at me, I call you, and you cannot move your legs.

I rush you to the hospital and oh my, gosh it's your heart. We go have an ultrasound my heart is breaking for I know it's not long! They tell me the news 3-6 months, my gosh I feel sick I fall to my knees, crying aloud!

With Feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, where did I go wrong? Why did the vets not see this? Why when it's too late! No heart replacement! No one will do it, I tried!
We take you home I pray and pray, holding you in my lap, caring you to the litter box. I sit every day and night moving your legs, praying, massaging your body in hopes the blood clout will dissipate. One week later you are moving around, your right leg still not like it was. Two weeks later you are back to normal. The heart medication 3x a day, ½ aspirin every 3 days, Your running like you're a kitten again.

May 2nd 2008 my daughter call's me at work, I rush home my handsome man is screaming in so much pain, he tries to greet me as I watch half of his body could not move. I get a towel and a board place him on it crying every step of the way, for I know in my heart this will be the last day!

We rush to the hospital as I get him out of the car, run into the office of the vet hospital yelling he's throwing blood clots, they stand there saying oh my gosh! I say give me a table and rush through the doors, placing him on the ER table everyone looking at me! Do you think I care! Take care of him his pain is great! They give him pain meds, he still screams and cries.

I ask him if he wants to go as I look into his eyes. He looks back and cries the pain is too great, there is nothing they can do his heart rate is high and temp low, he's trying to bite me so yes I know!

My 17-teen-year-old daughter is there, and the decision is made give him to god. As we cry together he is given gas to sleep, they try to administer in to the main artery in his neck it collapsed, and my daughter is holding him as the place the injection straight into the heart. I am on the floor screaming and crying for my handsome man is gone!

I get up and hold him, I kiss on the head and tell him, I love him and no one will take his place, one last time.
I pray, my little handsome man and God will forgive me, for the choice I made.

May 3, 2008 I wake to no cry of feed me, my face and eyes are swollen almost shut from crying all night, my handsome man you not here now it's time I pick out your urn.
Every morning my handsome man would get into bed and yell in my face it's time to get up and feed us. These days are now gone!

Wanka Tate
Over the years with so much love and joy, I am lost without you, now you are gone, my handsome man.
I will place you in an urn, for when it's my turn you will be placed with me.
Together we will meet again, no more pain for us ever again!
You will NEVER be forgotten and I will NEVER love another as much as I do you!

I lost a special friend today
the kind you can't replace,
and looking at his empty bed
I still can see his face.

I know he's in a special place
our Lord has for such friends,
Where meadows, fields & flowers
help make them strong and whole again.

I know he's watching over me
he'll be with me when I cry,
So with one more kiss on his beloved head
I told my friend goodbye.
They say memories are golden
well maybe that is true.
I never wanted memories,
I only wanted you.

In life I loved you dearly,
In death I love you still.
In my heart you hold a place
no one could ever fill.
Those we love remain with us,
For love itself lives on,
And cherished memories never fade,
Because a loved one is gone...
Those we love can never be more than
a thought apart,
For as long as there is memory,
They'll live on in the heart.

Photos Wanka Tate 6 years Old & my daughter Nichelle.

I guess the old saying is true!
Only the good die young!

We love you Our Handsome Man!

Charlene Whitfield