Helping Children Who Have Lost Family To Violence.

Congratulations to Olivia.

She graduated in May 2024 and is  spending her summer working with children on the spectrum. In September she will work and continue her education to become an Occupational Therapist working with children. She lived a normal life with her parents and younger brother until her life changed in a heartbeat when she lost both of her parents 10 years ago.  For the next several years each day was filled with darkness but with the encouragement and care of her  aunt she received much needed grief counseling and engaged in volunteering, being active in church, and spending time with her little brother. “Helping others helped me heal and provided me the strength I needed  to move past moments of anger and weakness and not give up on myself so I can help others who need me. The Peyton Tuthill Foundation has helped Olivea achieve her dreams and reclaim her life to help others.

Congratulations to Stefanie.

She graduated with an RN degree. Stephanie has plans for a bright future and understands hard work. She was 3 when she lost her father to homicide leaving her mother with 4 children. Her mother was a nurse working 2 jobs and serving in Navy Reserves with 2 tours in Afghanistan. My siblings and I also worked during high school to help ease stress for our family. Life was very difficult with moves and no father. Her mother and grandmother worked together to care for the 4 children without a father. “I have always wondered what it was like to have a father cheering me from the stands, helping me with homework, or just doing what fathers do.” She started counseling very young for many years to overcome trauma and to try to be a better person for myself and family. Stephanie plans to continue her education to become a Physician Assistant to continue helping others.

Congratulations to Aspen.

Aspen is grateful to the Foundation for receiving the scholarship to fulfill her dreams in the aftermath of losing her mother to violence at the age of 17. She had to flee for her own life in the middle of the night and was taken to the hospital by employees of a nearby business. Through several years of grief counseling Aspen graduated in May with a degree in art and has had several successful art shows. “I learned to never give up on myself as I had to that night to escape. I will always push through to succeed. That night I learned I can do anything.”

Losing my mother was the most difficult moment in my life. It took me years to figure out how to recover from such a loss. Today I am finally able to not let grief control me. It still has been very challenging not being able to hear her voice especially at my graduation. But my family as well as the family I made in college has helped me in ways I cannot even express. They have showed me love and support when I needed it the most.