CARIBOU, Maine — When Kristin Gifford thinks of her daughter Marissa Lloyd and her childhood friend Hanah White, she remembers the unbreakable friendship that the girls formed as second-graders in Caribou.
Even though Marissa died in a car accident in 2008 at age 7, White still thought of her as a best friend as she was growing up.
In September, White died from a drug overdose in Caribou. She was 22.
White struggled with substance use disorder for five years prior to her death. Her family recently began sharing her story, hoping to increase awareness of how prevalent an issue substance use has become for area youth.
“Even recently, Hanah was telling me how she still kept Marissa close to her heart,” said Gifford, who now lives in South Carolina. “When I heard the news [of Hanah’s death], I knew I needed to do something to help.”
Gifford began raising funds the year her daughter died to purchase books for Caribou area second-graders as part of the Marissa E. Lloyd Sunshine Fund. Between 2008 and 2018, Gifford and her board of directors purchased more than 1,000 books in Audrey Penn’s “The Kissing Hand” series, which addressed topics such as bullying, grief and anxiety.
But she has struggled to operate the fund from out of state in recent years, and is donating the remaining balance of $1,849 in honor of Lloyd and Hanah to the nonprofit Recovery Aroostook. Presque Isle couple John and Lindsey Cummings donated $151 to help Gifford meet her $2,000 goal for the fund.
Based in Caribou, Recovery Aroostook operates a resource center at 1 Water St. and two recovery houses — one for men and another for women.
Hanah’s father, David, said that his daughter often spoke about Lloyd, recalling their childhood antics and Lloyd’s kindness.
“Kristin’s donation is such a generous and heartwarming thing to do,” David White said. “Marissa was Hanah’s first true friend, and Hanah loved her with her entire heart. When she spoke about Marissa, it was like the old Hanah had come back.”
Gifford remembered Lloyd and Hanah as two “kind, big-hearted little girls” who loved being together more than anything.
In her short life, Lloyd had seen the effects of substance use disorder on family members. Her experiences and love for “The Kissing Hand” books motivated her mother to help children speak out and find self-worth during difficult situations.
Gifford hopes that her final gift from the Sunshine Fund will help people find recovery and live their fullest lives.
“We hope to maybe start a fund in Hanah’s name or hang plaques at the recovery houses for Marissa and Hanah,” Gifford said. “It’s our way of continuing Marissa’s legacy.”
Most of all, the story of Lloyd and Hanah could remind people that his daughter was more than her struggles, David White said.
“A person struggling with addiction is still a person who loves and can do good in the world,” he said. “Hanah was a person who struggled, but maybe she just needed one more day.”