Blog
Love, Loss, and Little Footsteps: A Conversation with Linda Boden
Each month, A Second Chance, Inc. (ASCI) amplifies the voices of our kinship. As an agency committed to establishing a safe, secure, and nurturing environment for children entrusted to the care of relatives or close family friends—known as kinship care—we recognize the importance of delving into the lived experiences of caregivers, birth parents, and children. By doing so, we aim to glean irreplaceable insights that contribute to authentic narratives and inform meaningful programming. Through these dialogues, we strive to foster understanding and create a supportive community for kinship families. This month, we had the privilege of engaging in a conversation with Linda Boden, who graciously shared her experience in raising her grandson, Demar Hill.
Linda Boden never imagined she’d be starting over at 59. A proud mother of two grown children, Trinity and Jeremiah, she had already gone through diaper runs, midnight feedings, and scraped knees. However, life has a way of rewriting the script when we least expect it.
In January of this year, Linda faced a mother’s worst nightmare when her daughter, Trinity, passed away suddenly, leaving behind her two-year-old son, Demar. Just a few months later, Demar’s father walked away, leaving the little boy in the care of the only steady hands he had left: his grandparents.
“I guess technically I became his caregiver on April 9th,” Linda says. “That’s when his dad left our home. But truthfully, they’d been living with us even before that. When my daughter died, everything changed.”
Demar’s young life had already been shaped by hardship. Diagnosed with cancer as a toddler, he bravely underwent treatment for Wilms’ tumor and is now in remission. But the trauma of losing his mother and the absence of his father created emotional hurdles no child should have to climb alone.
Linda stepped into this new role not out of obligation, but out of love, the kind of fierce, unconditional love that doesn’t waver in the face of heartbreak or hardship. And thankfully, she wasn’t alone.
With the help of ASCI, Linda found the guidance, tools, and support to help her grandson not only survive but thrive. “They’ve been wonderful,” she shares. “From speech therapy to developmental support, they’ve connected us with everything we need to make sure Demar is progressing.”
Linda sees caregiving not as a setback, but as a renewal. “It’s a whole new world,” she says with a small laugh. “Starting over with a two-year-old keeps me young. He’s a good little guy. He’s been through a lot, but he’s so full of life.”
Linda is quick to give credit to her village. Her son Jeremiah, now 23, has stepped up in ways that bond their family even tighter. Her husband is a steady rock, and great-grandma is pitching in, too. They have even started a college fund for Demar. “Hopefully, one day he’ll be a doctor or maybe the president,” Linda laughs. “He’s so curious. You never know what he might do.”
The road hasn’t been easy. Grieving her daughter, dealing with the silence left behind by Demar’s father, and juggling toddler tantrums at nearly 60 would challenge anyone, but Linda has found strength in support and hope in healing.
She offers this advice to others just starting their kinship journey: “Trust the system. Trust the people who are walking alongside you. Be open to help. They really do want what’s best for you and the child.”
Today, Linda doesn’t just see herself as a caregiver. She sees herself as a second chance. A second chance for a little boy to grow up surrounded by love, security, and opportunity. And a second chance for her own heart to expand in ways she never expected.
In the face of grief, Linda Boden chose love, and with every step she takes, she shows Demar what resilience, family, and unconditional care truly look like.