Burial Fund for Tamara Bivens
Donation protected
On April 7, 2016, our family lost a living angel as Tamara Bivens left this earth while in Tuskegee, AL -- the victim of an apparent suicide. Tamara was only 22 years old and the loving mother of one and a half year old Iden, a caring daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece, cousin and friend.
It pains us deeply to realize that our Tamara, once so full of vibrancy and hope, would find this life so unbearable that she would choose to leave it without reaching out to us for help. If only we could turn back the hands of time to hold her, to lift her up and let her know how much we loved her and how much she meant to each of us and the world ...
In reviewing a life insurance policy that we never envisioned using so soon, we unfortunately discovered that the policy is void as it has a suicide exclusion clause. Our family is now tasked with the cost of having to ship her body back to Los Angeles and arranging for her funeral and burial.
Tamara will always be in our hearts and minds. Her beautiful spirit was contagious. She loved to dance and was so naturally gifted. She even earned a spot in Debbie Allen's Chocolate Nutcracker without any formal dance training! She was so funny and lit up the room with her personality and smile. She was smart. She graduated with honors from CATCH High School in 2013 and went on to CSU Channel Islands for a year. She loved all people and sought every opportunity to connect with others. She was active in the teen ministry at Arise Christian Center. She traveled to the Dominican Republic (DR) for a volunteer Spanish immersion program where she taught English as a second language to young students at a summer camp. While there, she met friends from all over the United States and the Dominican Republic. She was giving. In addition to her work in the DR, she volunteered with Arise Christian Center's child care and with then Assemblywoman Holly Mitchell. She was ambitious. After having her baby, she reinvented herself as a personal trainer and nutritionist. However, I am sure that Tamara would say that her greatest accomplishment occurred on September 12, 2014 when she gave birth to Iden. She loved her son dearly, and the sentiment was clearly mutual.
We want to thank you so much for any amount you are able to donate. Or, if you are unable to donate, we thank you for your thoughts and prayers. May God bless you all!
It pains us deeply to realize that our Tamara, once so full of vibrancy and hope, would find this life so unbearable that she would choose to leave it without reaching out to us for help. If only we could turn back the hands of time to hold her, to lift her up and let her know how much we loved her and how much she meant to each of us and the world ...
In reviewing a life insurance policy that we never envisioned using so soon, we unfortunately discovered that the policy is void as it has a suicide exclusion clause. Our family is now tasked with the cost of having to ship her body back to Los Angeles and arranging for her funeral and burial.
Tamara will always be in our hearts and minds. Her beautiful spirit was contagious. She loved to dance and was so naturally gifted. She even earned a spot in Debbie Allen's Chocolate Nutcracker without any formal dance training! She was so funny and lit up the room with her personality and smile. She was smart. She graduated with honors from CATCH High School in 2013 and went on to CSU Channel Islands for a year. She loved all people and sought every opportunity to connect with others. She was active in the teen ministry at Arise Christian Center. She traveled to the Dominican Republic (DR) for a volunteer Spanish immersion program where she taught English as a second language to young students at a summer camp. While there, she met friends from all over the United States and the Dominican Republic. She was giving. In addition to her work in the DR, she volunteered with Arise Christian Center's child care and with then Assemblywoman Holly Mitchell. She was ambitious. After having her baby, she reinvented herself as a personal trainer and nutritionist. However, I am sure that Tamara would say that her greatest accomplishment occurred on September 12, 2014 when she gave birth to Iden. She loved her son dearly, and the sentiment was clearly mutual.
We want to thank you so much for any amount you are able to donate. Or, if you are unable to donate, we thank you for your thoughts and prayers. May God bless you all!
Organizer and beneficiary
Sonjia Elijah
Organizer
Los Angeles, CA
Carol Bivens
Beneficiary