Remembering Jenn Lyon

Today would’ve been Jenn Lyon’s 41st birthday, and as we celebrate the occasion within the Survivor community from our previous post, our good friend and close personal friend of Jenn Coby Archa writes about what made her special and how he is continuing on her memory by helping raise funds for the Jenn Lyon ICU.

Happy 41st Birthday Jennifer Lyon! I have so many stories of Jenn that pop into my head every year since she has passed on to the other side. I still find the strong urge to keep her memory alive and I can honestly say I think this feeing will continue as long as I live. She was that kind of friend. and being by her side was that kind of experience.

For those of you who don’t know, I did big variety show fundraiser here in my home town of Tyler Texas on my 40th Birthday last year in September. Jenn and I shared many things in life including our age. We both would have turned 40 last year so I knew I had to do something to celebrate it for her. She looked better than me in life and since she past on so early she will always be younger and prettier than me…ALWAYS. Damn her! As her Birthday approaches again I couldn’t decide if I would do the big fundraiser again this year or how I would celebrate her. I think I might wait until her birthday next year for that again, it was a big project and I want to make sure people are begging for more!

What I did decided to do this year was offer copies of the Fundraiser to those who would like to donate in her memory again. The DVD is full of song, dance and celebration of her memory. The show is rated R by the way. I wanted to make people laugh while thinking about her, not just cry…Jenn would want it that way. I am in my underwear a lot but the dancers are incredible. Jenn’s family was there to celebrate and only 300 of my closest friends it was a night to remember. It was beautiful to see her alive again on the big screen. I will donate the money to the same Clinic the $11,000 we raised last year went too.

You can go to www.jennlyonsicu.org for more information on how to get your memory DVD. I have decided that I will offer the DVD’s with a donation of whatever you have to give. If you only have $2 or $200, pesos or pounds! Dollars or pennies! I will be interested to see what I get. I think this is a fun game for her memory and I really just want people to see it and remember her, so I want to keep it affordable not just about raising money for a cause. So send what you got to get the DVD!

So of course I have to add a good Jenn Story. One of my great memories of her. I loved when I worked in Laguna Beach and she lived in LA because she would come down to get her hair done. Helping her grow her hair back from her treatments was so much fun. From short and dark, to long and blonde to one time it turning a little green! Which Jenn did NOT appreciate, her hair was fragile it wasn’t all my fault! The beach there was so beautiful and so was The Montage where I worked. I loved treating her to a nice place and I made sure everyone there pampered her as much as possible. “She is dying you know? Go get her grapes!!!! Now!” I would often be heard saying. I am just kidding of course people loved waiting on her because she was so beautiful and sweet people just wanted to be around her. Then we would go walk the beach or go see my family. We always would go eat somewhere after because we both loved food and discovering these little places. She was really adventurous that way. I remember Jenn made me try fish tacos for the first time which I thought sounded disgusting! But she was right they were delicious.

I know that story is simple but that is the kind of friendship we had. The everyday stuff is what I miss most, just hanging out. Actually talking about this, I think tomorrow on her birthday I will go eat some fish tacos. I think that is a good idea for everyone. Everyone should go have some fish tacos with their best friends and think of Jennifer Lyon. Simplicity at it’s best.

I can’t wait to see what everyone thinks of the show! I know Jenn was up there laughing at me and slightly horrified that all those people where there to celebrate her. But that is what good friends are for, I was always there to remind her that she was worth it and the spotlight was calling her name.