Written by Barbara Crowell Roy, Eve’s mom
Thirteen years ago today, we lost our cherished daughter, sister, niece, cousin, friend and colleague—Eve Erin Crowell. She had just had her 30th birthday. She was a brilliant, fun-loving, successful corporate attorney, and a triathlete. She was tall and beautiful with long light-coppery hair.
No parent ever expects to bury a child. Our children are our legacy. If they precede us in death, then we have to find the strength to continue this legacy, advance their values, and try to honor the things that were important to them. That is what we have attempted with our efforts.
Eve’s voice may be quiet now (even though, those who knew her well can still remember her voice), but her spirit still echoes. Eve’s spirit is alive in the organization her dad, Robert M. Crowell, M. D. and I founded in her name and memory—Eve’s Fund for Native American Health Initiatives.
Eve’s spirit and voice are being felt and heard every day through the Native Hope & Wellness programs that we have created for Native American youth. For the past 13 years our literacy, injury prevention, and education initiatives have had a positive impact on more than 50,000 children and teens living on or near the Navajo Nation. In addition, we have formed strong partnerships with other community organizations for Native youth, whose missions are aligned with ours. We have tried to support them financially whenever possible.
How have we turned our grief into action, and our sadness into helping others? How have we been able to embody Eve’s beliefs and values in our work and keep it going strong for 13 years? What has kept us going?
The answer is a simple one—Eve’s spirit is still alive, her candle still burns brightly because of the love and ongoing support we have received from family, friends, friends of friends, our board members, people we’ve never met and organizations and individuals who believe in the importance of the work we are doing. These people send us donations, as much and as often as they can. For these donations, we are truly grateful and honored.
Our joy comes from seeing the smiles on youngsters faces. Whether it is from second graders who just got their own Magic Tree House books to read, a group of students who just received shiny new bike helmets and learned how to protect themselves from harm, or the smiles from high school scholarship recipients who are able fulfill their educational goals, we know we are making a huge difference in many young Native American lives.
Second graders attending Kayenta Elementary School excited about learning and reading about the adventures of Jack and Annie in the Magic Tree House series.
Crownpoint high school students, with new safety helmets surrounding VIP Cecelia Fred who, through our ThinkFirst Navajo program, teaches kids how to “use their minds to protect their bodies.”
For the 7th consecutive year, Navajo Prep students receive scholarship funding from Eve’s Fund (Feb. 2018).
So today, we are remembering Eve’s life and her spirit, and we hope you will join us, even if you didn’t know her. Here are some things you might wish to consider doing to reassure and comfort all of us in knowing that Eve’s light is shining on:
If you aren’t familiar with Eve‘s Fund and our programs for Native youth, visit our website and contact us with any questions or feedback.
In addition, you can light a candle and keep it burning today in remembrance that Eve’s memory and spirit still remain.
With loving gratitude,
Barbara
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