Oh Dear Brittney! How much we miss you! I remember Brittney just like I remember yesterday. It's sooo hard to believe that she is actually gone. Though I NEVER associated w/ her, I know a lot about her. Her ex-byfriend, Trevor, was in my algebra II class Junior year. He had tons of pictures of her on his notebook. Now those pictures are few of the last ones that were taken of her before her tragic death. She was only 16. WHY? Because she made a horrible mistake that awful night. She chose to drink and drive. Now, don't get me wrong, I am NOT hating on her for what she did. Hell, we have all made mistakes in our lives. However, the one she made, she will not be able to take back. She did ask for forgiveness the last week God gave her to live. And now she is w/ the angels in Heaven. She was talented in so many ways: she could act, she could cheer, she was SUPER smart, and most of all, she could dance like NOONE else. She was head cheerleader throughout middle school, and when she got to Oakland, she was captain for ! the freshman cheerleaders. She also became a Half-Timer (hip hop dancer). She found that dance was her calling. She didn't go on to cheerleading for the rest of her high school years, but she did go on to dance. Not ordinary dancing like Jazz, or Britney Spears dancing. It was Hip-Hop that made her legs move. She stayed on Half-Timers for her Sophomore year. Towards the end of Sophomore year, she decided she wanted to graduate a year early. Like I said, she was SUPER smart. She went to night school and worked real hard and still maintained her A-average. She was an Honors student w/ a hectic schedule. She finished night school and when August 2002 came around, she was officially a Senior, a future graduate of 2003. Now, some of her friends were a little upset that she wanted to graduate a year early, but she assured them that she would stay friends w/ them their Senior year. So, Senior year was finally here. She got together w/the popular Senior girls and joined them for the! Lip-Synch Contest. They put together a dance and a little hand-clapping, foot stomping sequence. If I were a critic, I would rate it a 101 out of 100.It was AWESOME. So, the Hip-Hop Performers try-outs came along in like January of 2003. Of course, she tried out. Mrs. Sharron Farley was the choreographer for them. And of course, she made it. As my friend remembers, Brittney came in Mrs. Sharron's class on January 30 to talk to her, wearing Go-Go boots and a mini-skirt, despite the winter weather we had been having. LOL That was Brittney for you. She never wore the same outfit twice! She was a trendsetter. January 31, 2003, which was a Friday night, she decided to go to a party w/ her friends, Michelle and Meagan. That was the night that would change everyone's life. Yes, there had been alcohol served there. Yes, Brittney drove them home. I'm sure that you know what else went along w/ that. February 1 was the day that was rather! important to her and her family. They were to travel to the University of Tenn. in Knoxville. Brittney had been accepted there for the 2003-2004 school year. They never showed up. The reason? Friday night, Brittney was driving along Guy James Rd. when her mother called her cell. She knew Brittney had been drinking. She just wanted her daughter to be rested up for the next day. Brittney hung up her cell phone and was traveling along a one-lane bridge w/no guard rails and no reflectors. She went around the curve too fast and traveled down the embankment. She was not wearing her seat-belt. Her friends were, though. She was thrown through her window, according to cops and ems. She was unconscious. Michelle was unconscious, too. Meagan was not. Meagan called the police and w/in a short amount of time, the ambulance and life-flight arrived.However, Life-Flight could not take her to Vanderbilt because the weather was too bad. Meagan broke her neck and was taken to MTMC. Michelle broke her arm and received several scratches and bruises, and was sent to critical care at Vanderbilt. Brittney had major head trauma. Brittney was taken to MTMC, then escorted in an ambulance to Vanderbilt from there. There she would spend one week fighting for her life. Her brain was majorly swollen, so they had to induce her into a coma. They performed 4 brain surgeries on her. While this happened, our school raised money for Brittney and her family. They thought that if she came out alive, she would have to have major plastic surgery, and since the accident was her fault, her insurance wouldn't pay for it, but it did pay for Meagan and Michelle. The night they performed the last brain surgery, which was approximately one week after the accident, they decided to take her off the respirater, to give her one last chance to breathe on her own. She couldn't. Her family decided to donate her organs. So, as of right now, someone is walking around w/ her eyes. Someone is walking around w/ her heart. If her brain had not had so much damage to it, someone would be walking around w/ her thoughts. Her funeral was held Feb. 13. It was a bright and beautiful day that day. The day before and the day after were gloomy, but God kept her day sunny. Let me tell you, a lot of people showed up. There were so many people that they had to bring out chairs just so people could have a seat. It was a celebration of her life. They showed pictures of her and her friends, her and her grand-parents, her and her brother and sister, and her and her parents. There was a video tribute to her which included home videos and videos of her in her Drama class at school. Trevor sang a song for her. Her best friend wrote a poem and shared it w/ us. Mrs. Sharron wrote a poem as well, which she plans on turning it into a song. There were tears, there was laughter, there were smiles thereafter. It was a beautiful funeral, to say the least. One I will always remember. The next day on Valentine's, Mrs. Sharron forgot about the whole big dance # they had been practicing for for a while and put together a special dance that Britt had made up with Mr. Sharron's daughter. It was a great last pep rally. Britt's mom came out on the dance floor and the Hip-Hoppers danced for her. I cried. A LOT. They all wore t-shirts that said, (front) "We love you, Brittney"(back) ";Save us the last dance..." It was touching. Her 17th birthday was March 29. I visited her grave and there was a lot of stuff on it. People really loved her and she knew a lot of people. Even those that didn't know her, were really affected by it. All in all. Brittney was a great person. A beautiful person, w/ a beautiful smile. Perfect... and never again will her mom have her to hold. So, what did it feel like at graduation? EMPTY. Take it from me, it was hard knowing she would have sat RIGHT in front of me. I kept picturing her! there, w/ her little gown and cap, smiling like always. I know she was there in spirit. Brittney we miss you sooo much. We LOVE you, and we ALWAYS will. You are not forgotten.
Brittney Ann Fuson
March 29, 1986 - February 8, 2003
"Somebody Had To Teach The Angels How To Dance..."

***Love Always*** Kristie Harper***
This is dedicated to Brittney's parents, Bill and Patty.

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