“It’s like something is missing”
Brittany Coffee | 1993-2011
By Agnieszka Chrzanowska
& Mary Presley
“I had never been so wide awake during first period,” said Carnesha Smith, Div. 275, who spoke with passion and energy when talking about time she spent with Brittany Coffee, Class of 2011.
“That’s who she was,” Smith said. “[Coffee] was the type of person that had you laughing every time she was around.”
Coffee fell ill during her fall semester at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale (SIUC). She was sent to the hospital on Dec. 11, 2011 and was diagnosed with pneumonia. In addition, her potassium levels were low causing the illness to spread from her left lung to the rest of her body. On the morning of Dec. 13, 2011 Coffee passed away.
“She was always a little sick. She would take a couple of [sick] days out of the year, but it wasn’t anything this serious,” said Dominique Omoregie, Class of 2011. “I was at the hospital visiting her and the doctors said she was in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit). They let me give her a kiss goodnight. She was unresponsive and had a lot of tubes [connected to] her [body]. I gave the hospital my number and the next morning her mom and the hospital called me and said she was gone.”
Omoregie was one of Coffee’s best friends and her roommate at SIUC. Their friendship started five years ago at Lane, which gave Omoregie plenty of time to make many memories with Coffee.
“I took her home from school everyday. I would be tired but Brittany was always screaming and singing along to the radio,” Omoregie said. “When she was sleepy she would rub my ear and when she had a headache she would rub her head against mine [pretending like] she was giving me her headache,” laughed Omoregie.
From her colorful style to her undeniable presence, there was nothing about Brittany that did not stand out.
“She was different; she did her own thing,” said Nike Omogiate, Class of 2011. “Her hair was always colorful and she didn’t care what people thought of her.”
Omogiate and Coffee spent most of their time together during Middle Eastern practices. Coffee never failed to paint a smile on the faces of fellow club members.
“If she wasn’t a part of Middle Eastern, I wouldn’t have had as much fun as I did. Every time she was there I was always [having a good time]. I love her so much,” Omogiate said.
Coffee used Twitter as a means of communication in and outside of the hospital. As her final day was approaching, Coffee’s tweets became more severe.
“On Twitter I didn’t think her tweets were that serious until they called and said she died,” said Omogiate.
The last tweet she posted read, “[It is] more serious. If you believe in prayer please pray for me. I’m very, very ill….”
Omoregie had a hard time coping with the news.
“It didn’t click until the next couple of days. I [still] feel like I’m waiting on her to call. I keep bouncing out of my sleep thinking she is there. It’s like something is missing,” Omoregie said.
Coffee’s friends considered her to be a wonderful friend who could always be counted on and was always available for moral support.
“She always kept her word when she said she would be there,” Smith said.
Her friends described her as talkative, opinionated, goofy, outgoing, and humble.
“At times I thought I wasn’t as pretty [as Coffee] and [she] would tell me all the things she loved about me,” Omoregie said.
Outside of school Coffee was undoubtedly the center of amusement and laughter, but during school she was focused.
“She was driven, respectful, ambitious and sweet. She was very quiet. The type of student you would like to have,” said Mr. Gagliano, an English teacher of Coffee’s.
Math teacher Mr. Elias also appreciated her presence in class.
“She was the motivator on her side of the room, encouraging other students to finish their work. She was the one that had guts to ask questions. At first not that many people talked, but as the year went by she brought people out of their shells. She brought the class to life,” Elias said.
Coffee’s funeral took place on Dec. 17, 2011 at New Greater St. John Church in Chicago.
“Her funeral was very emotional,” said Maddy Sopeña, Class of 2011. “There were a lot of people who miss her there. The church was packed.”
The speeches made by family, pastors, and friends helped bring some closure for loved ones in attendance.
“Some [speeches] made you laugh and some kept you crying,” Sopeña said. “Most importantly, she touched the lives of a lot of people in the 18 years she was alive… a lot of people.”
