[Paul Lauzier]
Paul Lauzier will begin a memorial walk on March 9, from St. Mary’s Hospital in Lewiston, the date of his daughter Tina’s birthday. Tina was born in that hospital 44 years ago. Lauzier’s destination will be the home of his son who lives in Sebastian, Florida, which is 1,505 miles away, according to his calculations. He also plans on walking back to Maine and Portland will be his finishing point, intending to arrive here on August 6, the day his daughter jumped to her death from the Casco Bay Bridge in 2010.
Lauzier says "Tina belonged to Amistad," the agency in Portland that helps people suffering from mental illness. Amistad held a fund-raising breakfast on Thursday, February 10, to kick off the walk. They raised $600 that morning. Lauzier plans to donate the money collected along his walk to three organizations: the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI), Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, and the American Cancer Society. All of these agencies were closely involved with the women in Paul Lauzier’s life; his mother had Alzheimer’s; his first wife died of cancer; and his daughter battled mental illness.
Tina Lauzier attempted suicide previously by jumping from the old Million Dollar Bridge in 1996. Amazingly, she survived that fall. But she couldn’t win the battle with her mental illness.
Officer Daniel Knight had talked her out of jumping from the Casco Bay Bridge only one month previous to her fatal jump. Sadly, he was also one of the officers who responded to the call when a woman walking a dog saw a body under the bridge.
Paul Lauzier, who will turn 67 soon, is hoping to walk approximately 30 miles a day and he’s anxious to get started.
Where is Paul Luuzier today?
Posted by: Linda | April 20, 2011 at 07:33 AM