Grieving w/ Colleen Irwin for Mia Bella's tragedy
Donation protected
Friends and Friends-of-friends from near and far...
Thank you for clicking to get to this page. If you haven't heard the news, your first step was probably out of curiosity. I hope there will be a second step that comes out of everyone's kindness and compassion. I am both humbled and heartbroken to be allowed to share my dear friend's tragedy.
The woman on the left is Colleen, my longest friend of over 30 years. I nicknamed her "Colleenie Weenie," when we became best friends in elementary school. The sweet little girl on the right, beaming like sunshine, is her daughter, Mia Bella. "Squishy" was her nickname.
On May 25, Mia Bella (6) and her brother Zack (8) flew to New Jersey to spend time with their father. Divorce and numerous custody battles between him and Colleen have been difficult and messy, to say the least. No one could've ever predicted the additional hell Colleen must now endure.
On June 17, just three weeks after hugging and kissing her mom, "See you later," Bella died. She drowned in her father's above-ground swimming pool. Child Protective Services (CPS) has launched an investigation. Big brother Zack was immediately flown back home, then Bella was cremated in New Jersey. Her ashes and a lock of her beautiful blonde hair came home to Colleen in Colorado on June 27, ten days after our worlds lost a little bit of sunshine.
Growing up, both Colleen and I didn't have much, but I've always known her to be a giver, sometimes giving more than she had or anyone truly deserved. Her heart of gold very often lived with both simplicity and struggle. Now with Bella gone, I'm sure nothing for Colleen and her family is simple anymore and everything will be a struggle -- emotionally, pschologically, physically, socially, financially.
Surely like you, I can't begin to fathom the horror and heartbreak of losing a child. When no one even wants to imagine the agony of Colleen's grief right now, then how does one grieve as a bystander? How does one help as a friend? Please consider contributing to this fund to help Colleen and her family financially move through the aftermaths as easily and swiftly as possible. You generosity in any amount will be so helpful. There will be so much economic difficulty ahead of her...
- medical bills for the ambulance, autopsy, and cremation,
- transfer fees for bringing Bella home,
- preservation fees for keepsaking Bella's ashes,
- funeral bills for Bella's memorial service,
- therapy bills for family grievance counseling,
- unpaid time off work for Colleen,
- babysitters for Zack,
- meals and cleaning services for the household,
- legal fees
Thank you for reading. Thank you for being involved. Prayers and positivity, love and light to you all.
--Annie Nguyen Bade,
From Miss Olzack's orchestra class, 4th grade
Thank you for clicking to get to this page. If you haven't heard the news, your first step was probably out of curiosity. I hope there will be a second step that comes out of everyone's kindness and compassion. I am both humbled and heartbroken to be allowed to share my dear friend's tragedy.
The woman on the left is Colleen, my longest friend of over 30 years. I nicknamed her "Colleenie Weenie," when we became best friends in elementary school. The sweet little girl on the right, beaming like sunshine, is her daughter, Mia Bella. "Squishy" was her nickname.
On May 25, Mia Bella (6) and her brother Zack (8) flew to New Jersey to spend time with their father. Divorce and numerous custody battles between him and Colleen have been difficult and messy, to say the least. No one could've ever predicted the additional hell Colleen must now endure.
On June 17, just three weeks after hugging and kissing her mom, "See you later," Bella died. She drowned in her father's above-ground swimming pool. Child Protective Services (CPS) has launched an investigation. Big brother Zack was immediately flown back home, then Bella was cremated in New Jersey. Her ashes and a lock of her beautiful blonde hair came home to Colleen in Colorado on June 27, ten days after our worlds lost a little bit of sunshine.
Growing up, both Colleen and I didn't have much, but I've always known her to be a giver, sometimes giving more than she had or anyone truly deserved. Her heart of gold very often lived with both simplicity and struggle. Now with Bella gone, I'm sure nothing for Colleen and her family is simple anymore and everything will be a struggle -- emotionally, pschologically, physically, socially, financially.
Surely like you, I can't begin to fathom the horror and heartbreak of losing a child. When no one even wants to imagine the agony of Colleen's grief right now, then how does one grieve as a bystander? How does one help as a friend? Please consider contributing to this fund to help Colleen and her family financially move through the aftermaths as easily and swiftly as possible. You generosity in any amount will be so helpful. There will be so much economic difficulty ahead of her...
- medical bills for the ambulance, autopsy, and cremation,
- transfer fees for bringing Bella home,
- preservation fees for keepsaking Bella's ashes,
- funeral bills for Bella's memorial service,
- therapy bills for family grievance counseling,
- unpaid time off work for Colleen,
- babysitters for Zack,
- meals and cleaning services for the household,
- legal fees
Thank you for reading. Thank you for being involved. Prayers and positivity, love and light to you all.
--Annie Nguyen Bade,
From Miss Olzack's orchestra class, 4th grade
Organizer and beneficiary
Annie Nguyen Bade
Organizer
Denver, CO
George Scott
Beneficiary