Grandmother of Nashua Girl Who Died in Oak Street Home Raising Money

The family of a 3-year-old girl who was found dead on Oak Street in Nashua last month is raising money for a funeral and other expenses.

Sharon Boucher, the paternal grandmother of Brielle Gage, set up the site to raise $8,000. The family hopes to give her a proper funeral and memorial service, as well as raise money for a memorial tree.

“We, her extended family, are absolutely heartbroken that our little angel’s life ended so abruptly, under such horrendous circumstances,” they stated online. “No family should ever have to suffer the pain we are feeling.”

According to the family, custody of Brielle was given to her mother, Katlyn Marin, even though she and her boyfriend, Michael Rivera, were facing second-degree assault charges from May, according to a post on Patch. The family stated that it will also be bringing “awareness to the issue of child abuse and how DHHS and the court system failed my granddaughter,” completely stunned that Brielle was returned to her mother while the charges were still active.

So far, no charges have been filed in Brielle’s case.

“I am going to review the current DHHS guidelines and related statutes to see if they can be improved upon,” she stated. “If so, I will attempt to work with state legislators to propose legislation and guidelines changes that will provide more protection for children who are currently in the system. We need your support to accomplish this. Please spread the word about this fundraiser, and donate if you can.”

So far, about $350 had been raised in five days, according to the post.