For BobbyLee's children

This page has been created to raise financial support for BobbyLee Worm's three young children: Nitanis (8), Nikosis (6) and Nateo (3), after their loving mother's sudden and tragic death. The beneficiary of this campaign will be BobbyLee's sister, Nona Worm, who is going to assume the role of primary caregiver to BobbyLee's children. This fundraiser has been set up by Kevin Eastwood, a friend of BobbyLee's on behalf of the family.

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BobbyLee was many things to many people: a sister, a friend, an aunty, a daughter, an activist, an advocate, and a public speaker -- but above all, she was a devoted mother who loved her three beautiful children more than anything else. Anyone who saw the photos of her children that she proudly shared on her facebook page, or saw the way she doted on them in person, knows that her kids were the centre of her world. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her, but no one more so than Nitanis, Nikosis and Nateo. Without BobbyLee, her children will need extra supports in their lives, and that is why we are seeking your help here. It's still early days and we don't yet know where they will be living, but any funds raised here will go directly towards their support and care.

 

About BobbyLee

 

Despite the challenges and hardship she experienced in her life, BobbyLee had a legendary smile that could light up any room, and a laugh that could be heard well beyond it. She was generous to everyone she loved, gregarious with anyone she met, and fearless of anything she hadn't encountered before. She had a way of making you feel like you'd known her forever even if you'd only just met her. She was also one of the most courageous people you ever met. It was these qualities that led BobbyLee to change the laws in Canada.

 

When she was only 19 years old, BobbyLee was sentenced to six years in prison for a first offence. She spent more than three of those years in solitary confinement, a practice that has since been described as cruel, inhumane and tantamount to torture. Despite the risks of speaking out, BobbyLee reached out to an organization called Prisoners Legal Services, who connected her with the BC Civil Liberties Association. She told them she wanted to make sure no one else ever had to go through what she did ever again. They helped her take her case to court, and together they fought for justice for those who had been mistreated for so long.

 

BobbyLee went on to testify in a legal challenge to the law which allowed for long-term solitary confinement. Her powerful voice put her on the news across the country, transformed public understanding, and convinced judges and the government that the practice was unacceptable and caused people serious harm.

 

In 2019, the court ruled that the law that had allowed the practice to continue was unconstitutional and the law was struck down.

 

Thanks to her bravery and her belief that no one else should have to go through what she went through, BobbyLee’s actions directly changed the laws of the land and improved conditions for people in prisons across Canada.

 

We hope that her children will get to grow up knowing how remarkable their mother was, and take her greatest lesson to heart: that it doesn't matter where you are or who society says you are; If you have the bravery and strength that Bobbylee had, you can change your situation and even change things for the better for others.

 

Rest in power, BobbyLee.