Polly

Dean H*rshen just sent out an update about Polly, who's been on medical leave for a while:

Dear students,

Some of you have been asking about Polly. After consulting with Polly and her family, Mind* and I wanted to let you know that Polly is gravely ill and unlikely to recover. She has a very aggressive form of cancer that has progressed rapidly. Many of you have asked what you can do and if you would like to drop off a card for Polly, we will be taking them to her. This is a very sad time for us and we know it may be difficult for some of you as well. If you would like to talk about this, please feel free to come by our office.

Best regards,
Dean H*rshen

For those who don't know, Polly is the friendly lady in student services who works with M*ndi and Dean H*rshen. She's the person who you talk to when you dropped off your BHSA reimbursement requests, fill out those pink forms to get card access to a journal office, or pick up facebooks (the physical ones). She also has candy in her office.

When I was on BHSA, I often had to work with Polly to schedule meetings and handle event logistics. She was kind, funny, and helpful, which is really all you can ask of someone.

I know there are people passing around cards for students to sign. If you're one of them, would you mind posting in the comments about when and where the signing is happening?

Update (1/30): Polly has passed away. The following e-mailing was sent out today:

Dear Students,

I am very sad to let you know that Polly Paterson passed away this weekend. As you know, Polly had a very aggressive illness and her health deterioated rapidly in the last week. Her entire family was able to be with her last week and they were a wonderful source of support for her. I was able to deliver all of the cards you gave us last week and Polly received them before she passed away. If you have cards for Polly, please continue to drop them off with us. We will give them to her family members, who I know will appreciate hearing how much the community supported her.

We will be having a memorial service for Polly at the Law School and as soon as we have more details, I will let you know. There will be a funeral for Polly and as soon as I have those details, I will let you know as well. Polly's family has let us know that anyone from the school is welcome to attend the funeral.

As Polly's illness was so aggressive, many of us have had very little time to process what has happened. Everyone expresses their grief differently and your reactions may be impacted depending on your relationship with Polly, if you have experienced other recent losses, or if it is a significantly stressful time in your life. What is important is to support each other in the days and weeks ahead. We know that many of you will get comfort from your friends and family. However, talking to a professional counselor can also be helpful if you have strong feelings or if you are concerned about your reactions in any way. For students interested in support please contact: Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS) located at the Tang Center. If you would like to talk to a counselor, call 510-642-9494. Students can also be seen on a drop-in basis between 10am-5pm.

Of course, please feel free to come by our office and talk to either me or M*ndi if you would like to talk more about what has happened.

Best regards,

Dean H*rshen