Rachel Judd

I was widowed at 26 years old, one day before my 27th birthday, when my husband, JD, was suddenly killed in a motor vehicle collision in British Columbia. JD and I were building our life in Canada. He had an established career in construction, I was nearing the end of my permanent residence process through our marriage, and we dreamed of buying land, having a family, and creating our future there together. Then, in a matter of minutes, everything disappeared. After losing JD, I found myself grieving while trying to navigate an unfamiliar Canadian system largely on my own — ICBC, B.C.’s no-fault insurance system, WorkSafeBC, survivor benefits, employment records, immigration, and government processes I had never imagined needing to understand. JD had just completed a major construction project in Vancouver and was preparing to begin his next job in Squamish. Because he was temporarily laid off on paper between projects, his employment records showed him as unemployed when he died. That technical distinction has made my WorkSafeBC case and survivor benefits incredibly complicated, and I am currently appealing their decision. His death also ended the Canadian permanent residence process we had built our future around. I eventually had to leave Canada and rebuild my life in the United States. At 26, newly widowed and deeply traumatized, I did not understand how badly I needed independent legal representation. I was simply trying to survive. Three years later, I finally have enough strength and clarity to advocate for myself. I am raising funds to hire experienced Canadian legal counsel to review JD’s employment circumstances, assist with my WorkSafeBC appeal, examine ICBC and survivor-benefit issues, and help me understand what rights or options may still be available. I also hope to consult an immigration attorney about whether there may still be a pathway back to the country JD and I planned to call home. I am not asking anyone to guarantee me an outcome. I am asking for the opportunity to finally have qualified professionals look at the full picture so I no longer have to navigate it alone. If you can donate, share this fundraiser, or simply help our story reach someone who may be able to help, I would be deeply grateful. JD lived by the words Carpe Diem, which he carried tattooed on his body. After he died, many of the people who loved him tattooed those words too. Now it is my turn to live them — to honor him, advocate for the future we built together, and keep moving forward. Carpe Diem.