LeAnna Bereavement Support

LeAnna is my niece. She has made a wonderful life for herself and surmounted unimaginable obstacles. She has been surrounded by great love and lost many people intimately close to her. She has built a wonderful life and home for herself. She and Bobby who was to be her life partner live in the Fremont area of Seattle close to the UOW campus where he was in the final week of courses for his degree. Bobby pictured with her was a Green Beret for close to a decade prior to beginning his new life as a civilian. He took his life in their home on Monday, March 6th. LeAnna found him when she returned from work. Suicide is a word people do not like to utter or hear but it is common, particularly among those who served our country. Bobby did not show any sign of PTSD but in retrospect he showed no signs of weakness as he was trained to do. Bobby is tragically gone. LeAnna is here and her life she will need to rebuild. She is on temporary leave from her job she excels at and works at from 9-6 Monday through Friday. While she has many weeks of unused vacation, this will not pay for the intense counseling she will need in the weeks, months and years ahead. Our family and home community has been deeply impacted by suicide. I know many think this has to be an insurmountable tragedy for LeAnna. Some may think losing her biological mother, Julie Bell at 5 to cancer and then her wonderful stepmother, Lori Bell, who considered LeAnna her world, to a sudden illness when she was ten would be all she could handle. That is the tip of the iceberg. Amazingly LeAnna went on and those who know her are aware she has a keen mind and will seek healing. She will never stop loving her mom or Bobby. Love doesn't die but people unfortunately do. We know her to be filled with love, light and laughter. She will need our emotional support and truly a Village to assist her. That having been said, I urge the utmost respect in terms of allowing her to determine her own process for healing. I am asking for donations to assist her with the counseling expenses in the days, weeks and months ahead and to help transition to living single again. She does not need flowers or things. One who goes through this type of life altering event knows that isn't what matters. She already knew that and she has inspired many including myself time and time again to put my own feet on the ground and learn to walk again, even when I didn't think I'd ever get up. We have many things to thank LeAnna for as she gives hope as she fights her way back. Be there for her. Whether it is a thought, a prayer, emotional support or a donation, be there.