It all started when my Uppi started having back pains. He kept going to the hospital back and forth. He got tired of going back to the hospital until they finally sent him to Anchorage for a cat scan. The ANMC doctor told him he had kidney cancer. So my grandparents had to stay in Anchorage for a couple months. The doctors finally did surgery on him to take out his kidney. Couple hours later he woke up… and all his pains were gone.
            After that my Uppi finally came back to Bethel. We made him his favorite cake for welcoming him back. After a few days, his pains came back so he had to go back to Anchorage for a check up. The doctors told him that he had another tumor. But the doctors couldn’t do anything. So the ANMC doctor wanted to keep an eye on him in Anchorage. I wanted him to come back to Bethel because I wanted to see him before he died… since I already knew he was going to die. Cause most people who’ve had cancer mostly died but some survive because of surgery. Several days later, he died.  Sunday, April 21, 2009
After a few more days, they brought his body home. When I saw him in the coffin, I felt unhappy. It was such a cold and windy day also there was still snow. Although I walked to my grandma’s house with my mom, I was crying in the windy cold day I didn’t care if my tears got frozen because I was really unhappy. Couple days later we got ready to have his funeral. I skipped school that day because I wanted to be there at my grandma’s house in the morning until the funeral ended. After what seemed like many hours, they brought out the coffin to the church, I started to cry. When we went to the church for the service, I kept crying while they talked about my Uppi’s life. When they finished talking and when everyone was gone, I looked at my Uppi for the very last time with my family and relatives... I cried. I was thinking that I wouldn’t be able to see him or even talk to him for a long time till I’m in heaven.
            When they took the coffin out to the windy cold cemetery, I started crying again. After they started to bury him, I cried until I couldn’t cry anymore. Even when I visit my grandma, it feels like he’s still there. After he died it felt like the world got even lighter. He was happy most of the time and fun to be around with. He was also smart about what to do, say, directions, and many other things. He called me Mumo (mum-o) including my mom and my mom’s family. I hardly learned things from my Uppi because he doesn’t speak English only Yupik plus I hardly know Yupik words. His favorite verse from the bible was Matthew 5:9—Atawaqertut uitanqegcivkarilriit, Agayutem yuinek aprumaarkaungameng. In English it says (Matthew 5:9—Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.)