"Emmy" Christine Kramer made the most out of her life.
The 19-year-old from Rich Fountain died Nov. 29 in St. Louis.
Mary Kramer's youngest of five children was born with DiGeorge Syndrome, which left her without a full immune system and afflicted major organs of her body. She spent thousands of days in hospitals and was airlifted 17 times.
The mortality rate for the disease is 85 percent in the first six months. But Mary said her daughter was a fighter.
"Her core team of doctors never expected her to live this long," Mary said. "She defied odds, and one of her doctors told me, 'She makes it all look too easy.' We wanted her not just to be alive but make sure she had a life. So many times we thought we'd lose her. We were given no hope, but somehow, she found the power to overcome."
The Kramer family had a lot to overcome while Emmy fought her health battles, including a devastating fire at the family home in 2010.
"I wouldn't trade this experience because if another child was brought to me I would absolutely do it again," Mary said. "It's so hard to grieve for someone who is alive and care for them 24/7, 365 days. It's exhausting, but a lot of people don't get to see their true calling in life, and I felt very called for caring for Emmy.
"She brought an unexpected joy and made me a better human being. We found she was pulling the family forward. She was the teacher, the comforter and an incredible person."
While community support for Emmy was great all through her life, her effect on others was just as great, her mother said.
"There were many times we'd get letters from people who were going through trials in their life and they would hear about what Emmy was going through in her life," Mary said. "They would hear about the joy she was bringing to others, and they were inspired to push on through their problems or do good for others."
Mary remembers one year, around Christmas, when Emmy was having a difficult time. Word went out that Emmy would like to receive Christmas cards, and she ended up getting 389.
"At her memorial service, I chose a reading which talked about the Scripture where it says, 'I was hungry and you fed me; I was sick and you cared for me,'" Mary said. "That's how I feel about Emmy's life. The community reached out and made sure she was supported and loved, and on the other hand she did that for a lot of people with her spirit and will. That rescued others and gave them what they needed to overcome their battles."
While Mary said Emmy's death has left her "empty and aching," she finds time to recall some of the fun they had together.
"She loved McDonald's sweet tea, and she had a whole network of people that would make sure she would get that no matter what," Mary said. "She was such a card and loved to laugh. She would get on Snapchat and talk with her brothers and sisters. She'd take pictures of herself with her tea and let others know she got her favorite drink."
Memorials are being accepted for the Emmy Kramer Memorial Fund in care of Mid America Bank in Linn or can be mailed to 260 County Road 612, Freeburg, MO 65035.
Mary said she's not sure how she wants to proceed with remembering Emmy but knows she will find a way. For now, she needs to time to rest.
"Under the most difficult circumstances, you can find joy in a place where it shouldn't be found," Mary said. "That's the biggest takeaway for me and my children. You have to get a new way of looking at things. Until my last breath, I will tell her story because I know how it changed my life, and it has had an impact on my family and others. All of this surely has meaning."