Samantha Britney Clausing

Our beautiful warrior daughter left this earth on Sunday, June 26, 2022 at the age of 26. She fought hard as chronic illness and rare diseases destroyed her body for 9 years. Her little, fragile body could not take anymore and released her from her pain.

 

Samantha was born on Sunday, October 1, 1995 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Shad and Alishia Clausing. She was the second child and little sister to Jacob.

 

Right from the start, Samantha was a force to be reckoned with. She knew what she wanted and didn’t let anyone or anything stand in her way. As a baby, Samantha refused to take a bottle or pacifier. At 6 months old she started using a sippy cup straw and by 9 months old ate everything we ate, just ground up. She would not crawl either. Instead she rocked and scooted on her butt everywhere. She was fast. We joked that it was because she wasn’t going to be told to face the floor by anyone.

 

From the ages of 7-12 years old she played fast pitch softball. She loved playing and loved the socializing. She never really cared about winning, she just wanted to have fun. This is how she lived her life. She did her best at everything and just wanted to enjoy what she did.

 

Samantha attended high school at Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts. She had many wonderful teachers and friends from that school. During her time there, she developed a love of the arts. Samantha and her mom have held season tickets to Broadway at the Eccles and Ballet West for a number of years.

Samantha excelled at school and was set to graduate early and had early acceptance to the University of Utah. Unfortunately, her hard work and plans were all uprooted in 2013(the end of her junior year).

First, she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. She was familiar with the symptoms because her brother and cousin had type 1 for a number of years prior to her diagnosis. In typical Samantha fashion, she diagnosed herself. She told her mom in the morning and they headed straight to Primary Childrens Hospital. The diagnosis was confirmed right away. She adapted really easily to the life of a type 1 diabetic and did great at managing it.

Two months later the whole family got Norovirus from contaminated food at a restaurant. They all had severe GI symptoms for a few days and ended up dehydrated and in the ER needing IV hydration. However, Samantha ended up admitted to the hospital and was never able to eat normally again. The virus damaged her vagus nerve and set off a chain reaction of autoimmune and rare diseases. Her stomach was paralyzed and would not open to let food into her intestines. This is called gastroparesis. She had to get a feeding tube that went directly into her intestines so she could get nutrition. She had a nasal feeding tube her whole senior year of high school and first semester of college. This paralysis quickly progressed to encompass her whole GI system. She ended up being put on IV nutrition, to save her life, which required her to have a central line put in. Her immune system was so weakened that the central lines caused more problems. She was hospitalized many times for sepsis and septic shock. Her life was almost taken a few different times. She fought through it. She was a warrior. She had wisdom and strength beyond her years.

 

Even with all her health struggles and hospitalizations, she was able to attend a few semesters of college at the University of Utah. By the second semester she had found the field she wanted to study, medical microbiology. Her passion and brilliance in this field got her an offer into the graduate program once she finished her bachelors degree (she was just finishing her freshman year).

 

Samantha was an active part of the type 1 diabetes, dysautonomia and rare disease communities. She made many friends through these groups and was always willing to listen to others and offer hope and encouragement. She never let on how immense her own struggles and pain were. She was truly a selfless, loving person.

 

She was on the patient board and was involved with the development of The Metrodora Institute. She was looking forward to the Institute opening and transferring all her care there. Everything that will be offered is what Samantha gave them for her ideal clinic. The team, at the head of this Institute, will be helping people that struggle, like Samantha did. Samantha truly loved and respected them for their genuine and selfless dedication to the dysautonomia and rare disease community.

 

In August 2018 Samantha got a service dog. He is a labradoodle named Arilune. He has been the joy and purpose in her life. They shared an undeniable bond.

 

Samantha is survived by her parents, Shad and Alishia Clausing. Brother, Jacob Clausing. Grandparents, Calvin and Colleen Blackburn and Robert and Judy Clausing along with many other extended family members and friends. Most important, her service dog Arilune whom she loved with all her heart.

She was preceded in death by her grandmother, Connie Stephens Clausing. Also preceded by too many friends from the dysautonomia and rare disease communities that were taken too soon.

 

A viewing and celebration of Samantha's life will be on Saturday, July 2, 2022 from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm at Starks Funeral Parlor, 3651 South 900 East. Guests are encouraged to park on the north side of our home. 

 

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating, in Samantha’s name, to the Metrodora Institute at www.metrodora.com. Click on Making A Difference to donate.