On Jan. 6, former Hillsdale College student Lauren Hemming died after a nine-month battle with cancer. She was at home in Traverse City, Mich., and her final days were spent surrounded by those who love her the most.
Hemming's two years at Hillsdale were marked by her academic success in mathematics and art, but it is the friendships and her impact on others that will remain imprinted on the hearts of all those who knew her, and her spirit remains strong in those she touched.
“Lauren was friends with everyone that she met,” senior Kira Bonnice said. “You couldn't help but fall in love with her.”
Bonnice and other Chi Omega sisters' reflections on how Hemming has played a role in their lives are a testament to her character and heart.
“I have been so moved by her devotion to friends, family, and life, and the fight that she put up with cancer,” senior Wendy Miedema said. “I have devoted my biology thesis to researching non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in the hopes that someday we will be able to prevent this ruthless, peculiar disease.”
On Jan. 14 a memorial service was held for Hemming in Traverse City at the Maritime Center at the NMC Great Lakes Campus. Hundreds of people, including many of Hemming's Hillsdale College friends and sorority sisters came to celebrate the life of the 21-year-old they loved and cherished.
“The memorial service was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I have no idea how many people were there—at least 300, maybe 400,” Bonnice said. “There was standing room only because the place ran out of chairs. This is how much Lauren touched everyone's lives. People she only knew for a few months would have given anything to spend more time with Lauren because she knew how to brighten a day, make the best of a moment.”
During Lauren's illness, her mother, Dawn Hemming, sent e-mails updating friends and family of Lauren's condition. Senior Julia Parsons was one of the people who received updates. Parsons forwarded them to students at Hillsdale who were eager to know how they could pray for the Hemming family as Lauren received treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota as well as the time she spent in Traverse City.
During the Christmas season, Dawn sent out an e-mail requesting friends and family to send special ornaments for Lauren, as a way for her to connect with those she loved.
“At the memorial we saw a picture of all of the ornaments that people sent to Lauren and the Hemmings, something she asked us to do through the e-mail,” Bonnice said. “The tree was packed.”
Even with sorority recruitment beginning, many members of Chi Omega were in attendance at the memorial service.
“It was truly a celebration of her amazing life and her courageous fight to sustain it,” Miedema said. “I still grieve, as we all do, but I am at peace knowing that Lauren is in heaven, smiling and laughing the way that only Lauren could.”
The women of Chi Omega have begun plans to plant a cherry tree, Hemming's favorite, in her memory in the spring.
“Lauren taught me a lot about how to live life to its fullest,” Parsons said. “Her spirit drew people towards her and made everyone want to be around her and be like her. Her celebration of life was beautiful and made me realize just how many people's lives she touched. I am very grateful to have been able to call her my best friend and know that so many felt the same way.”