1 Year Later: Girl Orphaned After LI Mom's Death 'Just Thriving'

WESTHAMPTON BEACH, NY — Just a year ago, the Westhampton Beach community was rocked by an unthinkable loss that left a little girl, then just 10 years old, an orphan.

But love and time can help to heal even the most shattered of hearts — and now, according to Alice Eisenberg, who stepped in to raise Keely after the deaths of both her parents, said the little girl, 11, has learned to navigate her new road, guided by love.

"She's just thriving," Eisenberg said.

Last year, Eisenberg turned to the community for assistance: A GoFundMe, "Help Keely With Her Immediate Needs and Future," was created to bridge the financial gap after crippling tragedy.

"On Tuesday, June 13, our community was shaken by the sudden loss of Lauren Jill (LJ) Delman Hanechak, who passed away unexpectedly from acute myeloid leukemia (AML) only four days after she had been diagnosed," Eisenberg wrote.

LJ's husband, Rob, had died just three years earlier, in March 2020.

"Keely, their beloved 10-year-old daughter, is now suddenly left without her parents," she said last year. "LJ had named me, Alice, as Keely’s legal guardian if she were to die — and I will make sure that Keely is always cared for and knows how much she is loved."

She added: "We are all heartbroken for Keely and want to ensure that she has the support she needs during this difficult time. LJ was a single mom without a safety net who worked hard to make ends meet."

This week, Eisenberg spoke with Patch about how Keely has adjusted to her new life in Brooklyn, where Eisenberg lives with her wife Anna, their daughter, nicknamed Brucie, and their dog Popcorn. "Keely loves our dog!" she said.

"She’s done amazing — she loves especially loves her textiles class after school She has made new friends and loves her teacher," she said. Keely has made a goal of reading 100 books this year and loves art, writing, whittling and woodworking, and the flowers at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

Keely, she said, is excited for horseback riding camp and really loves being an older sister; she just had two birthday parties— one in Brooklyn and another in Westhampton Beach .

"She has declared dumplings and sushi new favorite foods — and we listen to her parents' favorite music in the mornings," Eisenberg said.

This summer, Keely will be returning to Camp Good Grief in Westhampton Beach and has loved Camp Comfort Zone; both help children cope with bereavement. Her guardianship has been finalized, and she got into her top choice for middle school, Eisenberg said.

On Friday, Eisenberg wrote another note to the many who've surrounded Keely with love during the past year: "As many of you know, this week we are honoring the 1-year anniversary of the tragic passing of one of my oldest and closest friends, LJ, only a few years after the sudden passing of her husband Rob — which led to our taking guardianship of their daughter, Keely."

She added: "As brutal as this last year has been in many ways, it has also opened a door to incredible joy—our family has expanded to include Keely as a 'guardian child' (her words) to us and a sister to Olympia Bruce, and our community (you!) has shown us how deeply we and Keely are loved. To know that we are not alone in holding all that has happened has made us feel so supported, cared for, and relieved."

May and June together hold many large milestones, Einstein said —Keely, LJ and Rob's birthdays, Keely's graduation from 5th grade, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and on Friday, the anniversary of LJ's passing. The milestone days, such as the recent holiday season, still evoke painful memories of all that's been lost, at times.

"It’s been both very hard, and very beautiful, navigating all this together," Eisenberg said.

Help is still needed, she added. "As many of you know, last year we set up a GoFundMe for Keely to help support her financial wellbeing. The money raised was used to cover some expenses related to LJ’S memorial, legal expenses and the rest — $137,000! Thank you! — has been allocated by the court to be hers for when she turns 18. We are so grateful to feel that she will have some financial security as she heads into adulthood."

However, Eisenberg said, there are current needs to be met. "When they passed, Keely’s parents were not able to leave any money for her upbringing. She is receiving Rob's Social Security, and we are working through many bureaucracies to access additional support expected from the state. We are still unsure, one year later, if she will be able to get more government support," she said.

In particular, the focus is on activities that help Keely to recover some aspects of a “normal” childhood, provide extra support for her lifelong journey of grief, and honor some of the plans she made with her mom before she passed, Eisenberg said.

Some examples include of those expenses include ongoing therapy and grief counseling for Keely, which is not covered by her health insurance; a project to recover and archive thousands of photos from her childhood from her mom’s devices; sleepaway horse camp this summer; several programs for grieving kids; and after-school care next year.

Also, Eisenberg said, there are plans for a trip in 2024 to 2025 to Thailand, where Keely can carry the memory of her mother, and their shared dreams, in her heart. "Before she died, LJ had promised Keely a trip to Thailand, and we really want to make this happen for her," she said. "We are hoping to start planning and booking some parts of the trip soon."

Keely, she added, is really looking forward to her summer, which she will spend at camp and with her beloved community on Long Island and with Eisenberg in the city and on Fire Island.

"Keely is also loving hearing about her parents and family, and we are still collecting stories, pictures and mementos—if you have any to pass along, please email us at alice.eisenberg@gmail.com.," she said.

Longtime friends in the Westhampton Beach community mourned LJ after she died.

"I first met LJ when she came into the Open Book with the children she was nannying that summer," said Terry Lucas, who owned the former bookstore on Main Street. A few years later she started working at the store, she added.

"She was a bright light, always happy, always trying to help. She was good at technology and social media before people even really knew what that was," Lucas said. "As a friend, she was warm and honest and very loving. Every post I read talks about her hugs. She made you feel loved."

She added: "When Keely was born she was so tiny and LJ just figured out what she needed and loved her through any problems. She loved being involved with the PTA at Keely's school."

She added: "This is just so heartbreaking."

Rachel Lucas, Terry's daughter, told Patch she met LJ when she was a high school student and LJ worked at the bookstore.

"Her late husband Rob worked with my dad at Starr Boggs," she said. "He sadly passed, as well. She was an incredibly generous and supportive friend. A very good listener and never judgmental. She was also a really fun! We had lots of adventures. She was amazing with kids even before she became a mom. She was the best mom to K, always making sure she had everything she needed and more. Always making special memories for her, even the everyday things were special."

LJ, she said, was a familiar face around Westhampton Beach, working at the Post Stop Cafe and Magic's Pub. She also helped her husband as a home chef, she said. "She could do it all — very good at managing things."

Rachel added: "She is one of the badass women who I learned to be a mom from. She also gave the best hugs, super tight with her big mass of curly hair always getting in your face — so you knew she cared about you."

Reflecting on the past year, Eisenberg said: "We cannot thank you enough for everything you have done and are doing to continue to show Keely she is surrounded by love and support, and us, too. We could not be doing this without you."

To donate to the GoFundMe, click here.