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#LillysAngels

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Hello and thank you for visiting Lilly's Angels.

My name is Rob VanNorden and I'm starting this fund to benefit a little five year old girl who just lost her daddy permanently and her mom, temporarily we pray.

Lilly's story is one of thousands of story's with the same conclusion, tragic loss with an innocent soul suffering from that loss due to no fault of their own.

This campaign has two missions. The first is obvious, to benefit Lilly and ease the burdens that have become her at such an early age.

The second is to raise awareness and put an exclamation point on the problem this country is experiencing with opiate addiction

Lilly's daddy was Joshua Arthur Bowman .  He was 31 years old and a smart, funny, good friend and loving father, son and brother.

Joshua lost his battle with an opiate addiction. He was on a bus to work, in Portsmouth New Hampshire in the beginning of Feb. 2017.

Josh's Mom  searched for him for two days, before finally placing a call to the Rochester New Hampshire police department.

She learned that Joshua was at Portsmouth Regional hospitpital on life support.

On arrival the news was bleak at best. Joshua had no brain activity and his brain stem was swelling rapidly.

For the next two days Karen and her family hovered in and out of the ICU waiting room and waited for any news of improvement.

Joshua lost his battle on the third day when doctors informed Karen that his brain stem was expanding so fast, that there was absolutely no chance.

At that moment Karen was faced with the worst decision any mother has ever had to make. Terminate the life support and let her beloved son go to god where he could rest in peace.

The life support was removed and Joshua left us there, in the hospital wondering how god could take somebody like him so young when he was such a decent person.

This problem we face together, and make no mistake, we are together. Everyone knows someone, or knows of someone who's been effected by addiction.

We are imploring you all to get them help and do it now. Don't wait until tomorrow, don't talk to them next week. Go find them right now and get them help.

We can't stand the thought of any more people having to unplug their child to stop their suffering. Or seeing any more children like Lilly.  left behind to fend for themselves.

Karen Bowman is Lilly's Grandmother, (Nana) and Lilly is her sunshine.

Joshua was her her youngest son, her baby and she lost him to this terrible disease to soon.

She now has custody of Lilly, as her mom is battling her own issues and can't be there for Lilly right now.

Karen is a disabled 55 year old woman, who exists on a meager disability check of $852.00 per month.

Her condition is permanent and it won't get better. She has four disc's missing in her lower back from arthritus and degenerative disc disease. 

She's really in no condition to take on a five year old but that's exactly what she's doing.

Lilly is with her Nana now and Karen will  alway's get to see Joshua in his daughter's eye's.  As you can imagine that's both a blessing and a curse.

I'm setting up this page for Karen and Lilly, hoping with all my heart that the world reads this and responds with love and care.  They could both use all the love they can get right now.

I've known Karen for almost 40 years. She's my best friend and I know she's strong. I also know that even the strongest person in the world needs help sometime and this is one of those times.

Please if you read this story and you can find it in your heart to help this dynamic duo, then you truly will be known forever as one of Lilly's Angels.
Thanks for taking the time to read Karen and Lilly's story. Take care of yourself and those you love and God Bless.

Robert VanNorden
dreamaker@dreamakerswork on twitter
Robert VanNorden on Facebook
Ibdreamaker@google+

Organizer and beneficiary

Robert VanNorden
Organizer
Rochester, NH
Karen Bowman
Beneficiary

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