About Lizzy-Our Shooting Star

Where to even start? Lizzy {Elizabeth Paige Cornes} was born August 14th, 1996. She weighed 6lbs 1oz and was born at 3:41 p.m. I was in labor with her for 19.5 hours, I guess she wasn't ready to enter this crazy world. She was due on my birthday August 17th, but decided to come before that. She was the best birthday present any parent could ask for. She was very energetic and loved to play with any kind of ball, I think in fact that was her first word. Little did we know she would be the athletic one. She was a tomboy and very unique and didn't care what others thought. She started playing soccer when she was 8 and loved it. She also became interested in skateboarding at around 9 years of age. We bought her a cheap skateboard from Toys R Us and she loved it. I joined MySpace, made an awesome new friend, whos son skates with Tony Hawk, but I didn't know that at the time. The band Rush was what started our friendship. When I told him about Busy Lizzy he sent her a deck signed by Tony Hawk and they made a complete board just for her as well sending her lots of cool skating clothes which she wore all the time. She started to become more serious with her skating and soccer. She wanted to be a professional soccer player when she grew up. The day before she passed she made two goals, her first ever. And they won their game. She was learning new tricks on her board and almost had that ollie down.........

The weekend was going great. This was on a Saturday Feb. 24th. Her best friend Thomas came in first in a school project and she made her goals. I remember that day like it was yesterday.

The 25th of Feb. started out good also. She played basketball. Had her best friend Thomas come over and his brother Russel. They rode 4-wheelers for a little while. Her dad bought her the new Tony Hawk playstation game and her and I played that for awhile. It was a good day until Thomas left for his boyscout meeting. She stayed inside to play her game with her dad. She would get bored easily so she would always have to do something with her hands. Which is why she wanted to play drums, and she was in the percussion section in her school's band. Later that day Thomas's brother came over to play with Lizzy and they started riding 4-wheelers again. She came inside and put the key on the table next to me, they were skating I think and then they decided to ride 4-wheelers again. I had the key to the 4-wheeler. She came in and asked me "Can I go ride 4-wheelers again?" We were supposed to go and eat Sunday supper at my mother in laws house down the road and I hesitated when I gave her the key..........I don't know if it was a bad feeling I had, but then she looked at me with those big blue eyes and I handed her the key which I REGRET to this day. I gave it to her and told her that she can't ride long since we will be going to eat at her grandma's house. I also told her not to race and go past 2-3 gear, to which she smiled and said "OK mom!!" And she ran out of the house..............Little did I know that was the last time I would see her alive. The accident is still sort of a mystery to us. We do know she passed away from cardiac arrest and a blood vessel in her brain burst. She was in 5th gear and I think she turned the 4-wheeler to sharp, got scared, used the wrong breaks and flew backwards banging the back of her head pretty badly on the rack in the back. We do know that she was conscience for a few after she hit her head since she did turn off the 4-wheeler........I think she was coming to get us, but she didn't make it and collapsed next to the 4-wheeler. Her friend Russell found her on the ground bleeding heavily and came to get us. My husband performed CPR and could tell her pulse was slowing down. It seems like it tool forever for the ambulance and Air-Med to reach us..............In my heart I knew that she wasn't going to make it. She passed away in her dads arms next to the 4-wheeler. We blame ourselves. She should have had a helmet on, if she did she still might be with us. Well that is about it. It has been 6 months since she passed but it feels like it happened just yesterday. I think about her everyday and can't believe she is gone. I would have traded places with her in a heart beat.