Kimberly A. Bilello

Waltham – Kimberly A. Bilello, of Waltham, died peacefully at home on Sunday, May 21, 2017 surrounded by her family. She was 36.

Kim was born in Greenfield on January 8, 1981, the beloved daughter of Robert and Deborah (Guiry) Bilello. She graduated from The Rivers School in Weston and then earned her bachelor's degree from Quinnipiac College and her nursing degree from Southern Connecticut State University.

She began her career as a pediatric nurse at Franciscan Children's Hospital in Brighton and later at Yale-New Haven Hospital in Connecticut.

The tender care she rendered to her young patients reflected the sweet goodness that brought her to take up nursing in the first place . . . and it was that same kind of care given by her mother and father that kept her spirit alive during her long illness.

In addition to her parents, Bob and Debbie, she leaves her brother, Christopher K. Bilello and his wife, Sarah, of South Hamilton; her niece, Grace Bilello and many aunts, uncles, cousins and dear friends.

Kim was also the sister of the late Justin K. Bilello.

Family and friends will honor and remember Kim's life by gathering for calling hours in The Joyce Funeral Home, 245 Main Street (Rte. 20), Waltham on Thursday, May 25th from 4 to 8 p.m. and again at 9 a.m. on Friday morning before leaving in procession to Our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted Church, 880 Trapelo Road, Waltham where her Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Burial will follow in Calvary Cemetery, Waltham.

Memorial donations may be made to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation, NE Chapter, 72 River Park Street, Suite 202, Needham, MA 02494 - www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/chapters/ne/ - or to the charity of one's choice.

_

A tribute to Kimberly by her cousin Morgan Parleman.

My Cousin Kimmy
2015

My entire life I've grown up with a large family. My Grandmother had 7 children. Collectively, between all my aunts and uncles I have fourteen cousins. My grandmother having eighteen grandchildren in total.

In my family a time of great happiness is often followed by a period of tragedy. This family is full of great people who cannot catch a break. Typically, when tragedy does strike, we all leave it "in the hands of God" as my grandmother would say. I feel that God has a plan for everyone, especially my cousin Kimmy.
My Aunt Debbie gave birth to Kimberly Anne Bilello on January 8th 1981. She was and continues to be a proud big sister to two little brothers Chris and Justin. Kim embodies everything that this family is. She is fiercely loyal, caring, and a fighter. When she turned 8 years old my aunt and uncle were told the devastating news that my cousin had Crohn's Disease.

Kim suffered through the challenges of Crohn's disease during her childhood years. When she was nine years old she spent a period of two months in the hospital. Through high school, against all odds, she continued to thrive. Kim was playing competitive sports and even keeping a part time job. Through it all, Kim eventually finished her four years of high school, graduated, and was accepted into Quinnipiac University. It would be here at Quinnipiac where Kim would pursue her dreams to be a nurse. Her path always clear, she wanted to help kids in the same way her nurses helped her.

College, similarly to high school, would continue to be a battle, but again my cousin reigned victorious. Graduating even with all odds stacked against her Kimmy became a registered nurse, and she was ready to begin her career. Landing her first job in a pediatric ward it seemed as if Kimmy had found her niche. Looking through the eyes of the children and their parents seeing nurse Kim come through the door was a blessing. Kimmy was and still continues to be a thick-headed bull and is willing to do anything for anyone as long as she deems it the right thing to do. Again, this reiterates just how fiercely loyal, caring, and how much of a fighter Kim is, not only for her family, but for her patients as well. She had once been that scared nine year old in the hospital bed, protocols and people were not about to tell her how she had to treat these children. She knew how to help them because she had lived through it first hand.

Once again Crohn's roared its ugly head and her career as a nurse came to a screeching halt. A multitude of doctor visits, numerous hospital trips, and continual IV drips became her norm once again. She was forced to move from her home in Connecticut back to Boston with my aunt and uncle. Kim was devastated but still determined all at the same time.

Despite her career being permanently sidelined, and her health not being the best Kimmy continued to do just what she was best at, she made people laugh. Once at home, her favorite line became "I'm 30 something years old ma". The only changes this line has made in all of these years has been the age number. It never fails to make a whole house erupt with laughter when you hear her screaming that down the stairs.

She took us on trips to stores whenever we visited; she even let me spend $44 on candy in one single candy store as long as I promised to share my Swedish Fish with her. She is the type of person who would do anything to make someone else smile.

My aunts and my mom went out for a sister day, so Kimmy was left in charge of me. She took me to the mall and bought me my first pair of Jordan basketball sneakers. Now, this normally would not seem like a big thing, but these shoes meant a lot to me. To this day I still remember them. They were god awful ugly pale white with blue trim and silver shoe laces. The shoes meant a lot to me but what she said when she handed them to me meant even more. She encouraged me to always try my hardest in this sport and I could do great things with this sport. When I tore three ligaments in my knee sophomore year her words resonated within me and pulled me through. It is because of her words of encouragement that I am where I am now. I could never be more thankful for the things she said to me that day.

As I mentioned previously, tragedy in my family strikes hard. In the middle of 2010 my grandmother became very ill. I remember in those months the final times I saw her walk around her living room, Kim was always behind her. Even in her darkest days, Kimmy would drive the whole five hours down to New Jersey to take care of our grandmother. Helping my grandmother could be a grueling task. Pain shot through her with every tiny movement but Kimmy always had a way to make things less painful. Kim again allowed for her true colors to shine through, and teach my family a little more of what family is about. I joke around with my cousins all the time that I was my grandmother's favorite grandchild, but in reality I think it was Kimmy.

For 16 months my grandmother laid in her bed and on October 29th 2012 she passed away. Again her thick headedness showed its colors and Kimmy made the five-hour trek down to Jersey numerous times just to spend time with my grandmother. At my grandmother's funeral Kimmy was very sick, but she still pulled through and showed courage as my family lost our matriarch. Kim's loyalty is forever unwavering and her strength is incredible. My grandmother's death hit me like a ton of bricks and for a while I did not think I would ever feel happy again. However, in my darkest moments Kimmy's tiny hand found mine and I knew I would be okay.

Six months after my grandmother's death tragedy struck my family again. Aunt Debbie and Uncle Bobby's youngest son and Kimmy's youngest brother Justin unexpectedly died at the age of 27. It is almost 3 years later and my family still grieves, and my family from Boston has a cloud in their eye that may always be present. However, on some days even just for a moment, I look into my cousin's eyes and those clouds clear and happiness shines through. It is in these moments of clarity, that Kim's happiness blossoms, like the most beautiful flower one has ever seen.

Today presently Kimmy has been discharged from the hospital shouldering the weight of the knowledge that she will most likely die from an infection and not her Crohn's.

As I've said, I've always believed in God. I've entrusted in his plan and when things get rough I leave it up to him. After all, he is supposed to be the only person in the universe who will not harm or hurt you in the end right? I question every day why this fight, why this life was given to my cousin. What has she done to deserve this pain and suffering? I look for courage in this, God gives his hardest battles to his toughest soldiers and Kimmy would be the Commander and Chief of them all.

When I was ten years old, I overheard Kim tell my mom that she thought I was afraid of her. The truth is I am terrified of her. I fear her courage, I fear all the love in her heart. How can a person shoulder the knowledge of their own death and take it in stride? How can she continue to love, and believe when in her life nothing has ever gone her way? How can she still allow for her happiness to bloom through such storms? If her death comes soon like everyone believes it will, or if she defies the odds once again, I take solace in this knowledge and I hope my family will too: When you go to pick flowers out of a garden you pick the biggest, prettiest, brightest flower. Kimmy is that flower, and I would like to think that God uses that same process to choose who gets to come into heaven. Her strength never falters, even on bad days, she still remains fiercely loyal, even though she is so sick, she still remains the most beautiful flower one has ever seen. I pray I am half of the woman you are one day, Kimberly Anne Bilello.

I love you infinitely, thank you for showing me what strength is.