Lyndsey Rowe wanted to make sure her son left a legacy. Lloyd always wanted to help people, but a lost battle against brain cancer prevented him from doing all of the things he dreamed of. Now, his mother is helping for him. Keep reading to find out how, or follow the original story to learn more.
At 34, Lloyd Greene neared the completion of a counseling program. Completing his course work at Eastleigh College would have allowed Lloyd to fulfill his life’s mission. As his mother describes it, Lloyd always wanted to help people around him.
Unfortunately, after five years of battling cancer, Lloyd died in November of 2015. A brain tumor prevented him from reaching his goals.
One year later, Lloyd’s mother, Lyndsey Rowe, established the Legacy Festival in Eastleigh. She set a goal to support others who were suffering from illnesses like her son’s. The plan even included offers of free counseling.
Ms. Rowe confirmed this year that the festival would return in the summer. Last year, the Novatones headlined the event. Ms. Rowe invites support from her community to continue producing the festival.
“It’s doing what Lloyd always wanted to do,” Ms. Rowe says. “His mission was to help other people and now that he can’t it’s like I’m doing it for him.”
Any and all funds raised are contributed to Lloyd’s Legacy. Charity group Brains Trust, established Lloyd’s Legacy as a fund to help finance counseling for brain cancer patients.
Ms. Rowe describes their experiences battling cancer as “absolute hell.” She says she doesn’t want anyone to ever have to go through that kind of pain. She reinforces the notion that she didn’t want her son to die without purpose or reason. And while she can’t change the results of their battle, her efforts can still do great good for those in the midst of their own.
“All I can do now is to let people know that they are not alone,” she says.
Organizing the festival has become not only a way to remember for Ms. Rowe, but it has given her purpose. She expresses the difficulty in losing a child. “It’s a crashing pain that does not ever go away,” she says. Ms. Rowe continues to explain that, however hard it may be, one must find a new way to live with that pain. The festival is her way of giving back. It’s a way to make an addition when cancer so often makes a subtraction.
The festival will take place this year from July 20th to July 22nd at Highbridge Farm Eastleigh, Otterbourne. More details are to be announced closer to the date. One thing, however, is for certain. Ms. Rowe made clear that the festival is not intended as a memorial, or a public display of mourning. She refers to the festival as “a celebration of everybody’s life.”
