Lilady had a severely developmentally and medically disabled son whom she cared for with the deepest love and commitment I have ever known. She became a fierce opponent of state mental institutions that cruelly warehoused special needs people and fought tirelessly for their closure. She was the original Mother Warrior. Through her trials and tribulations along with other parents of special needs children, she "adopted" the son of a friend whom she helped care for until Lilady passed away.
Lilady's advocacy extended to the internet where she was a prolific commenter on vaccine and autism articles. She fearlessly questioned dubious stories, provided sound evidence to support her claims and was never intimidated by anyone. Her decades-long expertise as a public health nurse along with her experience with special needs children and adults and fierce passion made her a formidable foe of anti-science purveyors.
Our thoughts are with her and her family and hope they know how appreciated, respected and missed their Lilady will always be.