In Memory of Elijah Tillman

On Sunday, March 7, I lost my first born, sweet baby boy, Elijah Tillman. Elijah meant the world to our family and we have been left devastated and shocked by his sudden passing. In so many ways, he was the glue that bonded our family together.  But, most notably he leaves behind his best friend on this earth, his 2 year old baby girl, Ava.  I find it impossible to describe in a few sentences how happy she made him. He would do things with her that I’ve never seen any other parent take the time to do.  He didn’t need patience with her because he just so enjoyed every single minute they spent together. He would color with her for hours at a time, making sure she was taught every detail; her colors and shapes.  He would dress her up to visit her great-grandma every Saturday, doing her hair and even painting her fingers and toes if she wanted. They would go to the park for hours on end just to hang out. It has been my greatest joy to watch him with her and to see him truly and completely happy. He made every minute with her count. She gave his life purpose and he worked so hard for her. These are the  kind of memories that manage to both bring me peace while ripping my heart out. My family is so close. We are blessed with a lot of love, a lot of friends and so many have reached out to console us in the best way that they can. We deeply appreciate and are overwhelmed by the love that you’ve shown us through messages and calls. Since we are still in the fact finding phase of his death, it may be some time before we know exactly what happened to cause this. In the meantime, we ask those who are seeking a way to help us, please use this platform to send donations, messages, photos and memories for Ava Jean. It’s what Elijah would want. And, my family only wishes to honor him and what he would want for her. I will update here with arrangements as soon as they have been finalized. Thank you for your patience with our delayed responses.  There is so much to process and we are struggling to manage things right now. We appreciate your love & support more than you know.