When you think of Brooklyn you should think Fearless with A LOT of SASS. She was always optimistic and if you were blessed to know Brooklyn you had a friend for life. Brooklyn always had a big smile on her face … except when she was taking a funny photo-which was often.
On July 23, 2003, a beautiful little girl, Brooklyn Konerman, was born to Tom and Angela (nee Ramey) Konerman. She didn’t know what her life would look like and didn’t know when it would end. Just like each one of us. She was born with HLHS. At 7 days old she had her first heart surgery. At 7 months old she had heart surgery No. 2 and at 5 years old she had heart surgery No. 3. Growing up she didn’t want people to know about her condition because she wanted to be known as Brooklyn … the big sister of Payge and Kylie. Brooklyn loved to do their hair and spend time with her sisters. She played Upward basketball and softball in the summer, until she had a pacemaker implanted when she was 11 years old. Then in February 2019, at the age of 15, due to the beginning stages of heart failure, the doctors decided to place a LVAD to assist while she was waiting for a new heart. Just two short months later, April 13, 2019, she received the gift of a new heart from her heart sister, Alydia Johnson.
Brooklyn was active in Show Choir but her heart was on making money. She LOVED her job at Skyline in St. Leon. Besides making money she loved the people and she was the one with a constant smile on her face. Those close to Brooklyn knew she had a thing with even numbers … couldn’t transfer money to savings unless it was an even number, temperature controls had to be an even number, radio volume had to be an even number, the list is endless. She had computer skills, especially PowerPoint. Brooklyn made a PowerPoint on all the reasons why her parents should allow her to have a snake … yep, they caved and let her get a snake. In high school Brooklyn was inducted into the National Honor Society and graduated on time with her class in 2021. The East Central teachers and staff helped make all of that possible as they would drive to a local library to help tutor her during her “she has to stay within 9 miles of the hospital” after transplant requirement.
She was doing well with her new heart. She had been on multiple vacations. She was living her best life each and every day. She had just returned from Florida with her sister and friends four days before her hospitalization on July 20th when she went into multiple organ failure. She had a BiVad implanted July 25. Because of a fungal infection she couldn’t clear on her own, it was decided to remove the BiVad. She cleared that infection. Then while she was recovering and working on getting stronger, her heart was unable to keep up without the support, leading to her death at the young age of 19 on Nov. 3, 2022.
Brooklyn’s legacy will live on with her parents: Tom and Angela (nee Ramey) Konerman; siblings: Payge and Kylie and her “fur brother” Charlie; her big sister/cousin Elli Senefeld; cherished grandparents: Lynda “Maw Maw” McIntyre, Robbin “Nana” (Todd) Ballard, Thomas Konerman, Keith (Cathey) Ramey; dear great-grandparents: Bill and Virginia “Ginny” Konerman; beloved aunts and uncles: Jason (Erin Hammer) Konerman and Benjamin (Rhaea Burton) Konerman, Jason (Melissa) Ramey and Jennifer B. McIntyre. Also survived by numerous cousins, great-aunts and great-uncles and Friends.
Preceded in death by her grandparents: Edward C. “Ed” McIntyre; great uncles Russ “Pickle” Brandenburg and James Becker.
Visitation will be at Bright Christian Church, on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. A Celebration of Brooklyn’s life will be on Saturday at 11 a.m. at Bright Chistian Church. The family asks that you dress comfortably, preferably colorful, for the visitation and funeral.
PLEASE don’t send flowers. The family requests donations be made to Brooklyn Strong, a non-profit that will be set up in her name where her family can keep her legacy alive with scholarships and help to others. The funeral home will be available during the visitation and service to accept donations. If unable to attend mail donations to Brater Winter Funeral Home, 201 S. Vine St., Harrison, 45030.
There are so many people to thank for their prayers and care for Brooklyn over the years. A Sassy shout out to all the nurses and doctors at Children’s … they made her quality of life better.
Brooklyn disliked the attention solely on her and as you go forward with life remember her motto “Be Strong, Be Brave, Be Fearless, You are Never alone.” Joshua 1:9