Ella's Memorial Fund for Resilience Rising
May her Memory Be a Light in the Dark
Ella believed in magic. She spent her childhood dancing under the bright lights of the Pantages Theatre in Tacoma, twirling in ethereal tutus among fairies. She had a passion for the dream world of Disney. She had a love for holidays of wonder.
Amidst her fervor for fantasy, she was a passionate fighter against the darker realities of life. Having spent time in foster care as a child, she transformed her pain into power. She spent her short adult life as a fierce advocate for issues of social justice.
Ella had a particular fire for supporting survivors of gender-based violence and trafficking. She mentored under the renowned Dr. Carolyn West at the University of Washington Tacoma. Dr. West said of Ella, "This loss has been so heavy on my heart. She had so much potential to help others, especially abuse survivors and former foster children. It hurts that those dreams won’t happen for Ella. However, I know her life has impacted so many.”
Support Survivors in her Memory
As a tween, Ella danced ballet alongside Resilience Rising's founding director. When Resilience Rising opened a home for foster girls who had been trafficked, Ella reached out and offered support. At Christmas time, she sent gifts to the girls with personalized words of encouragement and hope. She held a special place in her heart for our girls and for the program we created for them. Through her memorial bedroom in our treatment program, her heart for this population and this cause continue. The enchanted Taylor-themed bedroom holds space for Ella's story to be bigger than the whole sky.
This ongoing memorial fund supports:
- 'Ella's Haven' bedroom in RR's residential treatment facility
- former foster youth with histories of sexual exploitation & trafficking
- dance & movement therapy for survivors
- social activism opportunities for survivors