Lainey loved calling customers to speak to them directly.

Even when people emailed with questions about the online university or our website, she would pick up the phone and make sure they had a complete understanding and a fantastic experience.

When Lainey first started, I asked her to believe that together, we were going to grow this little company called Diabetes Education Services.

Lainey was such a great sport. For the first year of working together, we were squeezed into a 10×10 bedroom with 2 desks, our products, a packing station, and my treadmill desk. In addition, my boys, who were 7 and 10 at the time, were frequent visitors. And then there were the two dogs and two cats, who contributed to the overall experience of working in a home-based- office.

Through all the commotion and chaos, Lainey was gracious and understanding. She provided helpful insights on parenting and had a lot of wisdom to share on canning, gardening, and jam making. She shared stories about her adventurous parents, who, with all the kids in tow, traveled extensively plus created a family band.

But it was when she spoke of her grandchildren, that her whole face and being beamed with joy. She would share funny and heartwarming stories about sleepovers with Grandma and their special outings together. Over time, I was fortunate enough to become friends with her daughter, son-in-law, grandchildren, sisters, and husband. My life is richer and better because of knowing Lainey and by extension, her wonderful family.

We worked hard together and had fun too!

In January 2012, Lainey and I conjured up a plan to do a virtual walk across the country to the Banting Museum (where insulin was discovered) in Ontario, Canada. We wanted to make it in time to celebrate World Diabetes Day on November 14th. We both got pedometers and started tracking our daily steps. The Banting Museum was 2,642 miles away. We set a goal of each of us walking at least 50 miles a week, for a combined total of 400 miles a month. We plotted our journey on maps, made virtual stops at all kinds of fun places, and shared our walking path on our Facebook posts and in our monthly newsletter.

We made it to Canada in time to virtually celebrate with the Banting Folk and we continued our U.S virtual tour back home. To this day, I am still walking at least 50 miles a week to continue this tradition that Lainey and I started over 8 years ago.

Finally, in early 2013, we broke ground on our new office. Lainey and I had so much fun picking out paint colors, countertops, and designing our product storage area and packing station.

Lainey is pictured here donning a hard hat in a photoshoot that I had to coax her into doing. She was shy and humble, but with a little encouragement, she was game for almost anything.

To this day, when I look around the beautiful office design and layout, I am reminded of all of Lainey’s ideas and contributions as we created our dream working space.

Early in 2015, Lainey announced that she and her husband Willie would be moving to a homestead near her parents, where she could plant a garden, raise goats, and reconnect with the land.

I didn’t want to see her go, but I was so appreciative of how much she had improved my business and set me up for ongoing success. And, of course, I was joyful that she was moving to live her dream. We agreed that she would continue to provide tech consulting services and help keep our Medication PocketCards up-to-date and posted on our website and CDCES Coach app. Just a few months ago, Lainey helped to design and publish our first Glucagon Emergency Medication PocketCard.

Sadly, Lainey unexpectedly passed away on September 12, 2020. She was young at heart, vibrant, and living her life just as she wanted, on her ranch near her family and connected to the earth, all the way through.

This post is my opportunity to share my profound sorrow and grief of losing such a wonderful human and dear friend way too soon. Many of you reading this might have met or talked to Lainey along the way, and I know that like me, you were blessed for having known her.

But even more important, this is my note of joy and celebration for having the great honor of working with, dreaming with, and loving Lainey Koski as a friend, colleague, role model, and teacher.

Thank you Lainey and know that your light shines on in all the lives you have touched, including mine!