It takes a village of love…

Windsor Park

When 38-year-old Crystal Lynn Lowe’s cancer spread like wildfire, she asked her cousin Nancy Squire and husband Jeremy Squire to promise to keep her four girls together.

Crystal succumbed to an aggressive form of cancer in April. Three weeks later, the Squires, married just seven years, who always longed for children of their own, applied for legal guardianship of Crystal Lynn’s girls, aged 13, 10, seven and

two.

“It felt like someone above knew we needed them as much as they needed us,” Nancy said. “It’s been a blessing.”

While the new additions have been embraced by the Squires, they need to move to a larger home. Jeremy’s newly acquired business, Minuteman Press (Winnipeg) is in Garden City, while they live in Transcona.

Nancy also works full-time, requiring what she calls “a village” of both family and their church members to help wherever they can. For that, the couple is grateful.

Commuting daily to St. Boniface’s Marion School, which the children have been attending all year, also has its challenges.

Marion School, is a kindergarten to Grade 8 school, known for students that come from all segments of the city. Indigenous and immigrant students are a large part of the student population, and the focus is working as a team while respecting everyone’s unique qualities.

I cannot imagine what it feels like to accept four children, but the determination of both Nancy and Jeremy is apparent. They desperately want to end the cycle of poverty for the children. However, the truth is they need financial help – not to mention a vehicle for six. They desperately want to end the cycle of poverty for the children.

A GoFundMe page has been set up with a goal of $40,000, which Nancy hopes will help meet the girls’ future needs.

“These girls have already been through so much,” she wrote in the GoFundMe appeal. “We are hoping to provide them with any opportunity that young people should have, whether it be dancing, sports, college, or university. Having a ‘nest egg’ put away for their future is why we are asking for your financial support.”

If you want to contribute to the Squires family visit www.gofundme.com/f/3kzsr-crystals-girls, or simply go to gofundme.com and type ‘Nancy Squire’ in the search bar.

The Squires thank you in advance. So do I.