Newark Girl Declared ‘Superhero’ After Rising Above Medical Ordeals

NEWARK, NJ — A meeting of superheroes recently took place in a parking lot in the North Ward of Newark. Batman was there. So were Superman and Wonder Woman.

And so was another “superhero” that may have all of them beat when it comes to determination and grit: Lennae-Elizabeth Lowe.

Newark police officers in the city’s 2nd Precinct recently pulled together a community event in a lot on Broadway for local kids and parents, inviting special comic book-themed guests to the party … even the Joker. But the real star of the show was Lowe, whom police called a “6-year-old medical miracle.”

In a message from the Newark Department of Public Safety released Tuesday, a local officer, T. Rich, recalled the moment when she met the inspiring youth a few months ago:

“At the time, Rich was assisting her dad, Jon Lowe, with a police matter when he began to talk about health issues his daughter has overcome. Lennae-Elizabeth, he said, was smaller than a premature baby at birth. Known as a ‘micro-preemie,’ she was an infant so tiny and frail that her 1 pound and 10-ounce body fit easily in her dad’s hand from the tip of his fingers to the base of his palm.”

It wasn’t easy for Lowe those first few years, authorities said. Her left lung collapsed a month after she was born. Then, her right lung stopped working a week later when she also went into cardiac arrest during emergency surgery at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston.

Considered “medically fragile,” Lennae-Elizabeth needed two life sustaining devices at 2-years-old to help her breathe and eat. Doctors inserted a trachea tube into her windpipe and a feeding tune into her stomach; both stayed in place for four years, until she was strong enough to have them removed in January.

It was a story of perseverance that captivated superheroes – and even villains like the Joker – during the community event. One by one, the comic book characters surrounded Lowe and Rich as the officer explained why she and the entire 2nd Precinct wanted the little girl with the big smile to be their honorary superhero of the day.

It was a display that nearly brought her father to tears.

“It was nice for them to do that,” he said. “I’m grateful. This is a blessing.”

Don’t forget to visit the Patch Newark Facebook page. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site. Learn more about advertising on Patch here.