Lillian Bijou Forman

Lils was born on March 29, 2016 to Chance and Julie Forman in San Francisco, California. Her arrival was one that would set the precedent for the rest of her adventurous life – persevering. As many know, Lillian was born 7 weeks early. During her delivery, her neck was broken leading to a C5/C6 spinal cord injury leaving her paralyzed and breathing by ventilator. Despite these life-changing injuries, she persevered.

Chance and Julie were bound and determined to give Lils the most opportunity possible, so after recovering from her spinal surgery, they traveled to John’s Hopkins in Baltimore for spinal cord rehab, and finally back to Austin, Texas to be close to family. Lils thrived. She proved to everyone that her disability did not define her. Chance and Julie then made the decision to move to Denver, Colorado to give her access to a world-renowned spinal rehabilitation program at Children’s Hospital of Colorado.

While Lillian continued to prove to everyone how strong and healthy she actually was in Colorado, her mom and dad knew there was something lacking – the ability to enjoy mother nature year round in an environment that Lilly could always admire. Carmel, California delivered just that, so the move was made leaving family behind in Denver to make sure Lillian’s everyday life could be the best it could be.

Lils excelled in Carmel. She was smart and on her way to first grade. She’d count on her Tobii communication device, and she was not shy about voicing her opinions. She had an unexpected sense of humor where the villainous parts of Disney movies were her favorite. She’d crack up laughing while watching her favorite shows, and you could always get her to crack a smile if you sang her “Happy Birthday,” no matter the time of year. She had impeccable taste in music, and loved playing with her sister, Charlotte.

She was well-traveled. On top of all of the rehabilitation programs she took part in around the country, she also travelled on vacation to New York, Chicago, Las Vegas, countless National Parks, and where her greatest dream came true – getting to meet Goofy at Disney Land.

Lillian’s life was proof that hardships can be overcome, and excuses aren’t acceptable. She made all of those around her proud as she persevered through all that was thrown at her and smiled her cheeky smile through it all.

She is preceded in death by her pawpaw, Clifton Ray O’Quinn; her aunt, Rhonda Lynn Thompson; her uncle, Earl Arlin Thrasher III; and her cousin, Emily Nicole Thompson.

She is survived by her mom, Julie Anna Forman, her dad, Chance Alan Forman, and her sister, Charlotte Dior Forman; her grandfather, Max Owen Martin and grandmother, Evonne Buckner-Martin; her grandmother, Staci Shugart O’Quinn; her grandfather, Charles Joseph Forman and grandmother, Robin Brenizer Forman; her aunt, Taylor Grant, husband Brandon, and cousins Grayson and Collins; her aunt, Krista Thrasher-Stevens, husband William, and cousins, Jayda, Earl, and Lynda; her uncle, Steve Martin, wife Lunell, and cousins, Steven, Destrea, Daniyyel and Deven; and cousins, Stephanie Hall and Caleb Thompson.