Lucy Gwendolyn Johnson

Lucy Gwendolyn Johnson was born in Parker, Colorado, to parents Marlena Field and Ben Johnson. She was immediately admitted to the NICU for respiratory distress and remained there. At five months old, Lucy was diagnosed with pulmonary vein stenosis, an incurable, degenerative disease. She was transferred to St. Louis Children's Hospital in pursuit of a bilateral lung transplant.

After a three-month wait, Lucy received her gift of lungs on March 30, 2008, and returned back to her home in Aurora just in time for her first birthday party that July.

In spite of developmental delays due to a significant stroke in infancy, as well as autism, Lucy continued to work hard on milestones and developed a charming and loveable personality along the way. She learned to communicate using a combination of words, ASL, and home signs, and focused on gaining fine and gross motor skills. She started school at Mission Viejo Elementary in 2013 and school remained one of her favorite joys in life until the very end.

Lucy loved all things Alice in Wonderland, The Muppets, and The Wiggles; she had an impressive collection of music, figurines, and ""stuffies"" representing each. She appreciated many genres of music and entertained her teachers, peers, and family with her dance moves. She enjoyed roller skating, painting, and the occasional horseback ride, too. Outside of school, her favorite places to go were Lakeside, Disneyland (the faster and more thrilling the ride, the better) and the beach. She had a great sense of humor and experienced many giggles around surprises, slapstick, and potty humor. She loved spending time with family and friends, her eight cousins especially. The birth of her sister Eleanor in 2013 brought such happiness to Lucy and the two were quite a pair whether they were dancing in the kitchen or snuggled together on Mom and Dad's bed watching Mr. Rogers.

Lucy was fortunate to have spent very little time in the hospital during her ten years post-transplant, despite a diagnosis of chronic rejection in 2010. In early July she was admitted to Children's for respiratory complications, where it was discovered she had developed AMR, another form of transplant rejection. She passed away peacefully on July 25^th with her Alice dolls in her hands and her parents laying by her side.

Lucy's special light and unabashed joy will be greatly missed by so many who have been touched by her presence and story. She was preceded in death by Oma Neva Field and Uncle Matt Johnson. She is survived by countless loving family and friends.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks for those interested to support their annual Team Lucy Make-A-Wish campaign, which will launch again in February 2019

Celebration of Life: August 11, 2018 10:00 am

The Seawell Ballroom at the Denver Performing Arts Center
1350 Arapahoe Street
Denver, CO 80204

Room: The Seawell Ballroom is located in the Helen Bonfills Theatre Complex, at the northwest corner of the Denver Performing Arts Complex. Look for the marquee by the box office to enter and make your way to the second floor. Parking: The eight-story, DPAC parking garage is located onsite. Garage entrances are located on Arapahoe and 13th Streets.

Sunset Celebration: August 11, 2018 6:00 pm

Mission Viejo Park
3999 S Mission Pkwy
Aurora, CO 80013

Room: Please bring your family's picnic dinner and join us for music, playground fun, sidewalk chalk, glow sticks, and a balloon release at dusk.