Family mourns loss of 'adopted daughter' due to Columbine tragedy, after 26 years
Rewritten Article:
Meet Anne Marie Hochhalter - a resilient spirit bound by a unique connection with the Townsend family. Their first encounter happened at a Bruce Springsteen benefit concert in Denver, held to aid the victims of the devastating Columbine High School shooting in 2000.
Back then, Anne Marie was a young woman left partially paralyzed by gunshot wounds from the April 1999 attack on the school, which took the lives of 13 students and left 23 injured before the perpetrators ended their own lives.
The Townsends, who lost their 18-year-old daughter Lauren in the tragedy, made Anne Marie's acquaintance at the event. Recalling the moment, Rick Townsend tells CNN, "She was very shy at the time." This meeting marked the beginning of a lifelong bond.
Following his retirement in May 2000, Sue Townsend started accompanying Anne Marie to her physical therapy sessions and then the trio would often retreat for shopping sprees, movie dates, and lingering over meals and ice cream.
Anne Marie, who lost her mother to suicide six months after the Columbine massacre, soon found herself joining the Townsend family for holidays, birthdays, and vacations. Sue, who was Lauren's stepmother, affectionately stated, "She became part of our family."
Tragedy struck once again in February 2023 when the Townsends couldn't reach Anne Marie for a planned weekend lunch. Upon making a welfare check, police discovered Anne Marie's passing in her Westminster, Colorado home. The 43-year-old died on February 16 from sepsis, with the complications of her paralysis being a significant contributing factor in her death. The autopsy report classified the manner of death as homicide, increasing the Columbine shooting's death toll to 14.
This latest heartbreak has brought more anguish for the Townsend family, who struggled to cope with the echoes of the mass shooting that shook the suburban Denver community 26 years prior. Despite the loss, Sue found solace in her relationship with Anne Marie, claiming it aided in her healing from grief.
"She needed us, and we needed her. So it worked out," Sue reflected. Anne Marie and Lauren never knew each other in high school. The family fondly referred to Anne Marie as their "acquired daughter."
"We looked at her as a gift, kind of a bonus that came out of the tragedy of Columbine," Sue shared. "We just enjoyed her."
Background:
Anne Marie's life was fraught with chronic pain due to her injuries. Despite the physical and emotional challenges, she persevered, earning a college degree, operating a vehicle, working as an assistant manager at Bath & Body Works, and volunteering at a golden retriever rescue shelter. She also became an advocate for people with spinal cord injuries and chronic pain.
Sue and Rick noted that Anne Marie chose not to see herself as a victim; instead, she focused on what she could achieve within her physical boundaries. In her journey, Anne Marie developed a pressure ulcer, a common condition among wheelchair users, which ultimately led to her death due to sepsis.
The Townsends were taken aback by Anne Marie's passing, as it saddened them to lose her after she'd already faced so many obstacles in life.
"It was a shock," Sue confessed. "She had been through so much before and we just assumed this would be taken care of as well. We were stunned."
Reflection:
The Townsends views Anne Marie and Lauren as two beacons of positivity, defying despair in the wake of tragedy. They hope to keep their legacies alive by sharing their inspiring stories and encouraging others to embrace kindness and compassion.
"I hope this reminds people that goodness wins," Sue concluded.
- The Townsends and Anne Marie Hochhalter, bound by a unique connection, first met at a Bruce Springsteen benefit concert in Denver aimed at aiding Columbine High School shooting victims in 2000.
- Anne Marie, who was left partially paralyzed following the April 1999 attack on the school, was shy at their initial encounter.
- After retiring in May 2000, Sue Townsend began accompanying Anne Marie to physical therapy sessions, eventually leading to shopping sprees, movie dates, and shared meals.
- Anne Marie, who lost her mother to suicide six months after the Columbine massacre, joined the Townsend family for holidays, birthdays, and vacations.
- In February 2023, tragedy struck once again when the Townsends couldn't reach Anne Marie for a planned weekend lunch, discovering her passing in her Westminster, Colorado home on February 16 from sepsis.
- The autopsy report classified Anne Marie's death as homicide, increasing the Columbine shooting's death toll to 14.
- Anne Marie's life was marked by chronic pain due to her injuries, but she overcame numerous challenges, earning a college degree, driving, working, volunteering, and advocating for people with spinal cord injuries and chronic pain.
- Anne Marie developed a pressure ulcer, a common condition among wheelchair users, which ultimately led to her death from sepsis.
- The Townsends found it shocking to lose Anne Marie after she'd already faced so many obstacles throughout her life.
- Sue and Rick, recognizing Anne Marie as a beacon of positivity, hope to keep her and Lauren's legacies alive by sharing their inspiring stories and encouraging others to embrace kindness and compassion.
- Anne Marie and Lauren never knew each other in high school, but the family referred to Anne Marie as their "acquired daughter."
- Despite the loss, Sue found solace in her relationship with Anne Marie, claiming it aided in her healing from grief.
- The Townsends view Anne Marie and Lauren as two beacons of positivity, defying despair in the wake of tragedy, and they hope to continue fostering health and wellness, especially for those suffering from chronic diseases like chronic kidney disease, psoriasis, and eye health issues, as well as addressing general news topics such as war and conflicts, crimes and justice, accidents, sports, politics, and more.
