Life, Love and Lily

     “I stopped selling meth when I heard about her,” said Earl Anderson, of Newark, Ohio. He had been dealing methamphetamine, crack cocaine and marijuana while also struggling with addiction himself. After a month of abusing drugs with the intention of ending his life, he received a phone call from his ex-girlfriend, Amy, of Chillicothe, Ohio. She was pregnant with his baby.

     On April 18, 2014, then 20-year-old Amy gave birth to Liliana, or “Lily” for short. Earl and Amy married two months later and now live in a single-bedroom apartment at Carriage Hill Apartments in Athens, Ohio. Amy studies Mechanical Engineering at Ohio University and took classes right up until delivery. Earl has devoted himself to caring for Lily while Amy is at class and when she is studying.

     Earl is 20 years old yet never completed high school nor pursued a GED diploma. At age 2, his mother left and his father kicked him out when he was 13. After having a difficult childhood, he is determined to give Lily the best life he and Amy can eke out for her. He considers her his reason to live.

     The young couple is mainly supported by Amy’s parents with a budget of $300 every month for food and living expenses. Earl and Amy are quite contrasting individuals, aside from their personal histories. She is a vegetarian and he is not, which effects their shopping needs. He has attention deficit disorder and says she may suffer mild depression. Against adversity, the Andersons rally over 9-month-old Liliana and their love for each other.

     “We’ve got to be a team,” Amy said.