On the morning of October 9th, our family lost Matt.

In the almost 11 years he was part of our lives, he became so much more than a stepfather. He became a husband who showed up for our mom, a Pappy who absolutely adored his grandchildren, and a person who brought his own special kind of wonder into our family.

Today, as we grieve the loss of Matt, we are also facing the difficult reality of what comes next for our mom.

For years, Matt worked hard to provide for their household, including through our mom’s own health challenges. Because of his support, she was able to be a full-time Grammy, dedicating her days to loving and caring for her grandchildren while my sister and I pursued our careers and raised our own families. Her presence has been an incredible gift to all of us, and our children have grown up knowing the comfort of having their Grammy there.

Now, our mom is navigating the unimaginable loss of her husband, along with the sudden loss of their household’s only income. As a former single-mother of 16 years, her own health challenges, and her ‘retiring’ to be a full-time Grammy in order to support our growing families, mom has no savings or retirement to fall back on.

We are starting this fundraiser to help ease the financial strain on our mom and our family during this incredibly difficult transition. Donations will help with essential living expenses, household bills, groceries, and other immediate needs while we figure out the road ahead.

Our goal is to give Mom some breathing room. She deserves the time and space to grieve her husband without having to face the immediate fear of how she will support herself financially.

Matt loved his grandbabies more than anything. He lit up when he saw them, greeted them with his familiar “hey baybay,” and found little ways to remind them how special they were to him. We will carry those memories with us, and we will make sure Ellieana, Vincent, and Josephina always know how deeply their Pappy loved them.

If you are able to contribute, any amount will make a difference. If you cannot donate, sharing this fundraiser with your own friends and community would mean so much to us.

Thank you for showing up for our mom, our family, and the memory of a man who gave so much of himself to the people he loved. We are grateful for every bit of kindness as we navigate life without Matt.

We will be looking for you in the stars always, Matt.