Cassie Miller, left, tears up as she talks about the death of Rowyn Johnson, 2, while sitting next to the mother, Brynn Johnson, at Johnson’s home in Tenino on Feb. 20. Miller was involved in the accidental death of Rowyn on Sept. 16, 2014. Miller and Johnson started Raise for Rowyn, a charity that raises funds to help families that suffer the loss of a child.
Two Tenino women who rose above tragedy to head a nonprofit to help families navigate the loss of a child will be featured on national television this Thursday.
Cassie Miller and Brynn Johnson will be appearing on “Dr. Phil” to discuss their experiences around the death of Johnson’s 17-month-old daughter Rowyn Johnson.
The news was first announced on their nonprofit’s Facebook page, but was taken down soon after.
“Here is the big news!,” the post from last month read. “Tune in to the Dr. Phil show on Oct. 15th to see Brynn & Cassie! The episode will feature Oprah promoting her new series ‘Belief.’ They are sharing their story of grief, pain and healing.”
The non-profit organization is dedicated to Rowyn Johnson, who was accidentally killed by a vehicle driven by Miller at Johnson’s home in Tenino in September of 2014.
Rather than allowing the tragedy to drive them apart, the two women joined forces to help pay for the final expenses of children.
Raise for Rowyn’s goal is to provide support to people and families connected to a child’s death. They also help pay for medical costs and final expenses. Since April of this year, the organization has helped the families of 24 children, including Jasper Henderling-Warner, the 3-year-old who was killed in Vader last year. According to their website, the organization has paid out just over $35,500.
The episode will be on the channel King 5 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
In the days leading up to the airing, the women wouldn’t comment on the television appearance due to confidentiality agreements with the TV show.
The nonprofit now is made up of six other people and has had several fundraising events around Southwest Washington, including charity runs and events at restaurants. It was named the beneficiary of the annual Olympia Pub Crawl Weekend.
The women now are working on a book based on their experiences and the blog posts they’ve written.
See more at www.raiseforrowyn.org.
