Eva Louise Kemeny Rausing - A Tribute

London (ots/PRNewswire) -

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The Kemeny family is deeply distressed by the tragedy of their
daughter, Eva's, death and have seen the widespread worldwide media
coverage of her difficulties over the last few days. Eva would have
wanted the memory of her life to be used to benefit others facing
similar addiction challenges in their lives. The Kemeny family hopes
this tribute will be used to draw attention to the tragedy of drug
addiction and to generate awareness and financial support for this
cause in the future. In due course they will launch a foundation.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120717/545975-a )

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(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120717/545975-h )

American philanthropist, loving wife and mother, who helped
countless addicts, and children

By Tom Kemeny, Eva's father

Eva Louise Kemeny was born on 7 March, 1964 exactly nine months
and one week after Nancy and I were married in Goldsboro, North
Carolina on 1 June, 1963.

Eva was born in the Matilda War Memorial Hospital on the Peak of
Hong Kong. Our darling Eva was literally delivered by me and a 16
year old assistant nurse, since the doctor had failed to show-up.
When Eva was born, I wrapped her up in a towel, still attached to
Nancy's umbilical cord, and held her up to show Nancy our beautiful
first born. Nancy said, "Oh, a boy!" And I said, "Not exactly, what
you're seeing is the umbilical cord." Thus Eva entered dramatically
into our world.

From Hong Kong we moved to Sydney and from there to Milan where
her sister, Be, was born. We then moved to Rome in 1967, where Eva
attended the original Montessori Nursery.

In 1970 we moved to London and Eva first attended Garden House
School, and then later Queens Gate, followed by the American School
in London. She was an immensely bright, loving but very shy little
girl.

We think she started experimenting with drugs in her late teens
to overcome her shyness. The drug dependency impacted poor Eva, and
her attendance, at Occidental College in Los Angeles.

After attending many drug rehabilitation centres in the USA and
the UK, Eva finally recovered in the late 1980's. Her recovery was
strong and, as is customary in the 12-Step Programme, she went around
London and the UK sharing her life and experiences to explain that
recovery is possible and to give hope and support to others. This
became a major defining endeavour in her short life: to help others,
especially those with drug addictions.

Before her marriage, Eva worked for two years in John Aspinal's
London office, as his assistant, where her duties included buying
exotic fruit for his large collection of gorillas. She married Hans
Kristian Rausing on 16 October, 1992 at the Swedish Church in London.
The service was officiated by the Archbishop of Sweden, assisted by
Reverend Lennart Sjostrom, the former Rector of the Swedish Church in
London. Recently he commented: "I just saw two people who were
immensely happy and so in love, and I remember the looks on their
faces as they exchanged their vows and promised to love and honour
each other." Reverend Sjostrom also baptised their four children.

After her marriage, they attended Richmond College, where Eva
read Economics and Hans Kristian read English literature. She also
attended the London School of Economics for a short time.

Eva played a pivotal part in her life-long vocation in helping
those with drug addiction. She joined the Board of both Clouds and
Chemical Dependency Centre in the early 2000s, which later formally
became Action on Addiction in 2007 after merging with a third
charity. It is a national organisation that provides direct and
indirect help to both addicts and their families. The indirect help
it provides includes training for professionals, counselling,
research and campaigning support. Its direct help includes
residential and out-patient treatment to those suffering from
addiction, in addition to offering support to their families.

Eva's particular interest within Action on Addiction was Hope
House, a specialist unit for women to deal with complex issues - not
just drug addiction, but eating disorders, mental illness and
domestic abuse. Eva and Hans Kristian were adamant that no one should
be turned away from treatment for addiction. They passionately (and
anonymously) supported 'Charity Funded Treatment' for those that
could not get statutory funding or raise the funds themselves.

From early 2000 up until her death, Eva was involved with RAPT,
Rehabilitation for Addicted Prisoners' Trust. Although Eva was not on
the Board or a trustee and had no official capacity, she was a
life-time supporter and dedicated her time to visit women's prisons,
such as Send.

Tristan Millington-Drake, who worked with Eva on her charitable
activities, remembers the caring attitude she took to her work: "She
was never afraid to visit women addicts in prison and in connecting
with them she was always open about her own struggles in the hope
that she might help them." Tristan remembers her love of cats which
even extended into her support for the Animals at War memorial in
London's Park Lane: "She was always mischievously trying to get them
to include cats in the memorial, despite it being pointed out to her
that cats didn't go to war."

Eva was also a patron of the Mentor Foundation, a charity purely
concerned with drug prevention which was founded in the early 2000s.

Ten years ago Hans Kristian and Eva established Verdun in
Barbados, a full 12-Step Recovery clinic which remains unique in the
Caribbean. Verdun has treated over 2,000 local Bajan people since its
foundation. Eva and Hans Kristian have essentially been the only
benefactors of this facility. There are plans to develop a women's
unit, as it had become a male-only facility. The charity also set up
a Halfway House which provides training and rehabilitation to
reintegrate recovering addicts into society.

Through her endeavours, both with her personal involvement and
charitable contribution, Eva and Hans Kristian "saved" thousands of
lives - tragically not her own. This is a stark reminder that the
illness of addiction knows no social class or gender.

As Nick Barton, Chief Executive of Action on Addiction, said
recently: "Eva worked tirelessly for years, without any desire for
public recognition and despite her own health issues, to help people
and charities in the addiction field through her wonderfully generous
support."

"Eva was much admired for the very personal commitment shared
with her husband Hans Kristian in supporting a number of charitable
causes, including several organisations in the addiction field."

Eva and her husband were also generous patrons of many other good
causes. She had a sharp and intelligent wit, and her sparkling eyes
often betrayed what she was about to say. Her beautifully written
messages and emails were in equal turns both provocative and
humorous, but always a pleasure to read. The love she had for her
children was the most dominant theme in her life, and one which
occupied her every day. Even in the depths of her despair she always
worried more about the happiness and well-being of others. At the
time of her death her over-riding concern was for the safety of her
beloved husband, for whom she interrupted her own treatment to return
to London in an attempt to take him back with her to California, but
tragically to no avail.

We shall always remember Eva as a beautiful, generous, and fun
daughter, wife, mother, sister and aunt. Eva and Hans Kristian adored
each other and their four beautiful children. When not in London they
would have family holidays with their cousins and extended family,
without any glitz or glamour.

Eva and Hans Kristian were a devoted and loving couple for the 21
years they spent together. They benefited thousands of lives through
their personal involvement and philanthropic activities. They bravely
battled their demons and supported each other and Eva will be a
devastating loss to our beloved "son" Hans Kristian, whom we love
unconditionally with all our hearts.

"A loved one is a treasure of the heart and to lose a loved one
is like losing a piece of yourself. But the love that this person
brought you...did not leave, for the essence of the soul lingers. It
cannot escape your heart, for it has been there forever."

Debbie Burton

Eva is survived by her beloved husband, Hans Kristian Rausing,
their four children, her sister, Be, and parents, Nancy and Tom
Kemeny and an extended American and Swedish family.

O, G-d, full of compassion. Thou who dwellest on high, grant
perfect rest beneath the shelter of Thy divine presence among the
holy and pure who shine as the brightness of the firmament to the
soul of my beloved Eva who has gone to her eternal home.

Mayest Thou, O G-d of Mercy, shelter her forever under the wings
of Thy presence, May her soul be bound up in the bond of life
eternal, and grant that the memories of my life inspire me always to
noble and consecrated living. Amen.

Please send comments, questions, shared experiences to:
addictionhelp2012@gmail.com

Photo:
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120717/545975-a
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120717/545975-b
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120717/545975-c
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http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120717/545975-e
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120717/545975-f
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120717/545975-g
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120717/545975-h

ots Originaltext: The Kemeny family
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
Charlotte Offredi +44-20-7861-3232