NASHUA, NH – Jessica Hannan-Vitale came home from work four months ago to any mother’s worst nightmare: her 3-month old daughter Brielle, cold and unresponsive.
“I came home and I saw the baby and she was almost dead,” Hannan-Vitale said. “I tried waking her up and she was cold, she wasn’t moving and [was] gray so I immediately called an ambulance.”
At the hospital, Brielle underwent immediate brain surgery due to injuries that resulted in damage to her frontal lobe and the right side of her brain that has resulted in her having cerebral palsy affecting the left side of her body, and long-term permanent brain damage.
Brielle’s father, Matthew Fowler, is accused of causing the baby’s injuries and has been charged with aggravated assault, domestic violence assault on a child less than 6 years old, and endangering the welfare of a child, according to Maine State Police. Fowler remains at the York County Jail on $50,000 cash bail.
“I lost everything when that happened because I stayed with my child in the hospital for 16 days so I lost my job, I lost where I was living,” Hannan-Vitale said. “I had nothing in Maine for myself anymore, so the only person I had left honestly was my other kids’ dad and he lived in New Hampshire, so I came down here.”
After some difficulty finding placement due to being a family of seven, Hannan-Vitale has been staying at the Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter (NSKS) for the last two months with her four kids, her older children’s father, and her nephew, who she is in the process of adopting.
The shelter has 48 beds available for families and 12 units with pocket doors that allows them to accommodate bigger families when needed.
“We were just very fortunate that when they needed shelter we had some available,” said Jane Goodman, executive director of the shelter.
Hannan-Vitale has since made it her mission to advocate for better housing laws in New Hampshire – such as rent control and equal opportunity housing – and has been meeting with city officials, forming connections, and learning who to contact and how.
“I’ve become aware that it’s not just a city problem, it’s a statewide problem,” Hannan-Vitale said. “The states around New Hampshire have more protection, have more resources, [and] have more laws towards not having homelessness.”
Earlier this month, Hannan-Vitale went before the city’s joint Human Affairs and Planning and Economic Development Committee and voiced the need for additional shelter space and shelter space designated for families.
She particularly wants to push for using the recently closed Elm Street Middle School building as shelter space.
She also spoke about her personal experience at the NSKS, and the shelter doesn’t have the support it needs.
“The staff are doing their best, they just don’t have resources,” she said.
“I definitely don’t think that they should keep families [in the same space] with singles,” she added. “I just don’t think that’s a healthy situation where we have people with that capability around families even though we’re segregated by key cards. My kids are seeing way more than they should.”
Hannan-Vitale has been working with Goodman to find ways to give back to the shelter. They discussed the possibility of a food drive, and Hannan-Vitale is also interested in associating Brielle with the shelter’s next Run & Walk for Food & Shelter fundraiser to reach a broader audience.
This weekend, Hannan-Vitale is collecting diapers, wipes and formula for the shelter. Anyone interested in donating can email her at jessica.vitale15@gmail.com to arrange a drop off time. As there is a constant need at the shelter, she will also accept donations for the shelter at any other point.
“They were there when other people weren’t, so I want to give back to everybody that I can that’s helped my family through this so far,” she said. “I’m doing it in Brielle’s name because I don’t want her to be seen as a victim. She’s a survivor, not a victim and we’re strong. That’s why we’re still here, that’s why we’re speaking loudly, that’s why we’re trying to get things done for other people too.”
As for Brielle – now seven months old, Hannan-Vitale has her working with a physical therapist and is also working on her vision.
Hannan-Vitale continues to fight for Justice for Brielle in her ex-boyfriend’s legal process.
“I really have a lot of faith in her and I’m going to work really hard with her,” she said. “She’s still such a smart girl and shows so many positive things.”
Anyone interested in supporting Brielle can do so by donating to Hannan-Vitale’s Go Fund Me page here.
