Pokemon has been a constant presence throughout people’s childhoods. It is an anime that crosses the bounds of age, and it is visible from how adults as well as children still enjoy its animation, games and other forms of media. Recently, a shadow of mourning fell over fans of the franchise as a renowned artist related to the series passed away.
Rachael Lillis, the English voice actor of Misty and Rose from the Pokemon anime, passed away on August 10, 2024, at the age of 46. Lillis was diagnosed with breast cancer last May, and fans of the series have been with her through thick and thin.
How Pokemon Fans Helped Racheal Lillis During Her Worst Time
Rachael Lillies had been battling cancer for months and had to stay in a nursing home as the cancer had spread to her spine. According to her family, she was “barely” able to walk, thus, the financial condition of the family became too weak to keep supporting the voice actress. During this unforeseen circumstance, it was Pokemon fans who came to her help.
Lillis’ family turned to social media to receive financial aid for her. Initially, a $20k goal was set to help support a home care nurse, who would help Lillis with her basic necessities and provide help in her house rather than a nursing home. The goal was achieved very soon as the post gained traction. Lillis was finally able to leave the nursing home, where it was uncomfortably noisy, which prevented her from resting.
The GoFundMe hit its target in the span of 24 hours, which caused immense relief to both the voice actress and her family members. Her sister, Laurie Orr, updated the page with a message:
For Rachael, it has been so emotionally moving & she feels honored to have had this outpouring of love and support from everyone!
Some other messages from Rachael’s sister, Laurie Orr, express how much the support of her fans lifted up her sister’s spirits. In June, Laurie updated that they were able to move Rachael to a better place where she would get medical attention, case as well as a private room to regain strength.
Fans Mourn as Rachael Lillis Passes Away
The last update on the GoFundMe page was from Laurie on August 10, 2024. It informed everyone that Rachael Lillis had passed away. Her condition had begun to decline in the past week, and Laurie could not be by her side, and all of her loved ones were grief-stricken.
Laurie did write that the voice actress was extremely moved by the kind gesture of her fans.
She likened the response to this fund to the movie, “It’s A Wonderful Life” when George is surprised to learn just how much he is loved by his friends and how much they Do care!
The post further detailed how Lillis actually remembered many of her fans who she would come across at conventions and other places. She would then relate her experiences to her family.
The GoFundMe campaign has been a resounding success, and a total of $96k+ has been donated by fans and well-wishers. All the funds donated for Rachael would go to pending medical bills as well as a memorial service for her. The money would also go towards causes in her name that put effort into combating cancer.
You can read Pokemon on Viz Media and watch the anime on Crunchyroll.
