Beverly was taken by ambulance to the ER in Cottonwood, AZ for heart irregularities April 11. The doctors administered an angiogram and suspected cardiomyopathy: Takotsubo syndrome. They kept her for observation, during which time Bev had a stroke! She was in rehabilitation at the hospital for speech and paralysis issues.
Needless to say, her financial burdens and anxieties have only increased. We are therefore asking all her friends and loved ones to contribute anything they can to help her move forward. No amount is too small or unwelcome and can be made anonymously if you like. Large donations are especially appreciated if you are in a position to help in that capacity.
Thank you so much to everyone who has contributed and to all those who are holding Bev in their hearts. Please consider answering this call for further help. You can email or text Bev directly but remember she may not be able to respond quickly or as fully as she would like since writing and speaking are still challenging (for several days she was unable to communicate at all so we are grateful for the medical intervention and subsequent healing that has already begun). If you are able to help in any capacity, please do. Many thanks!!!
~ Lori Lively
ORIGINAL STORY:
There's no shame in hardship but it is humbling to ask friends for help. It is therefore my idea, and my privilege, to make this request for Beverly's benefit. May it usher in a new season of plenty for her.
As some of you know, Bev has known a lot of loss in her life. Her only sibling, Donna, took her life in 1989. Since 2020, four of Bev’s closest friends have been felled by cancer, another by heart disease. Shortly thereafter came the death of John Soderburg, her most recent sculpting mentor. In December Bev then lost her mother to a long struggle with dementia.
For several years, Bev sidelined her own wellbeing to live near her mother, serving as liaison between her and the parade of caregivers that accompanied her mother's end of life. Ultimately, Beverly was left with numerous financial responsibilities associated with her mother's passing.
Many of you also know Bev is a gifted artist with talents in music, graphic design, video production, screenwriting and film directing, as well as painting and sculpture. She is committed to finishing the project she had to abandon for two years: a monumental sculpture of Valentina Blackhorse, a young indigenous ceremonial dancer who contracted Covid early in the days of the pandemic. Valentina died just two days after her diagnosis, leaving behind her one year-old daughter.
Beverly feels strongly that Valentina should be remembered and celebrated so she returned to Sedona to work with John Soderburg to finish the likeness of Valentina. Her hope is to place the finished bronze at the Kayenta Medical Clinic where Valentina lost her life.
This is where you come in, at least I hope you do. Beverly needs help to pay funeral home expenses, car repairs, transportation and lodging costs and other lingering bills that have mounted to nearly $10,000. Until she is able to cover the costs for these immediate needs, Bev cannot continue to move forward to complete Valentina's sculpture, let alone remain on sound financial footing.
Please consider contributing to this fund to help our soft-spoken friend find her balance and rid herself of the burden of debt and realize this important artistic vision. Any amount is welcome. Thank you for your generosity and kind concern for our sister, Beverly.
~Lori Lively, Olympia, Washington
