Support Chandra after tragic loss of husband, Joshua Chavez

In loving memory of Joshua C Chavez 11/23/1980 - 06/05/2024…

My name is Sydney and I'm really good friends with Josh and Chandra Chavez. Most people are aware that Chandra lost 9 family members, including both parents and both brothers, in a 5.5 year time frame. Adding insult to injury, just a few weeks ago, on June 5th, Chandra tragically also lost Josh; her beloved husband, best friend and soulmate. I can't even begin to imagine what she must be going through, but I do know she recently told me she feels cursed and feels like she and Josh were robbed of their time together. The other thing I know is that she is having a much harder time than she is telling anyone about.

I am reaching out to you today to request your assistance! While no amount of money is going to bring Josh back, at least we can try to make things a little easier on Chandra as she navigates this shocking and unfathomable loss!

The purpose of this GoFundMe campaign is to support the Chavez family during their time of need; and to honor Josh’s wish to help alleviate some of the financial burden on Chandra. Funds raised will be used to pay for services associated with Josh’s death, such as any secular services Josh & Chandra planned together to commemorate Josh's life [i.e. Celebration of Life Ceremony, purchasing an Urn, creating & publishing a Tribute Book, donate towards his preferred charity, etc.]; as well as pay for Josh’s hospital bills. Any additional funds will be used to help repay the family for all the help they have given to Josh and Chandra in the last 3 months; and to help support Chandra during this emotionally impossible time.

Josh was only 43 years old. He died due to a combination of factors from two different related medical incidents. His medical complications, while unknowingly had been present for several years, began surfacing just 10 weeks before his passing, around the middle of March. For those of you who don't know what happened; who are still waiting for the whole story; or who are still confused about how the Chavez family is having services to commemorate the life of a seemingly healthy 43 year old man who was so charismatic, upbeat and full of life; a detailed account of Josh's Illness and his death will be added to the updates section of this GoFundMe, under “Update 2” for anyone who would like to know exactly what happened.

Josh was cremated on June 15th. His older brother Joe, was generous enough to cover all $2600 associated with the cremation costs. A Memorial Service and lunch reception will be held for Josh on July 20th. Further details about these events will be included in Update 1. A Celebration of Life will also be held for Josh on August 31, 2024, to honor and celebrate Josh's life. More Info on the Celebration of Life will be disclosed as we get closer to that date; but this is the commemorative event Josh and Chandra planned for in the event of his passing. Chandra wants to have it her new place, which is part of the reason it will be held at the end of August.

Josh was a true extrovert. He was always smiling, upbeat and full of life. His approach to life was definitely to just enjoy it and have fun. He could easily strike up a conversation with anyone, at any time, and in any social setting. He had this crazy ability to naturally make people feel comfortable. One more than one occasion, a total stranger would be sharing their life story with Josh after only knowing for about an hour!

Chandra, mostly an introvert, was Josh’s complete other half. The two of them complemented each other perfectly. Referring to one another as each other's “PIC”, they made all their decisions together; would do anything to protect each other; and always had each other's back. Most importantly, they loved each other unconditionally, and always made each other laugh. They shared a love of music, movies, traveling, and both completely adored their three loyal little dogs Piggy, Bugz and Malibu. They spent 16 wonderful years together. They still had so many things planned together for their future. This is such a devastating loss for Chandra. Her husband was taken from this world far too soon!

Understandably, she has been spiraling through constant stages of denial, depression and anger since Josh died, making it difficult for her to do much of anything right now. Most days she either sleeps way too much, or not at all. As she grieves for the loss of yet another member of her family, she is reminded once more of the frailty of life. She struggles every day to try to remain grateful for the countless joyful memories she's left with from the amazing union she and Josh shared.

Any contributions towards Josh’s campaign, regardless of the amount, will be greatly appreciated. Your generosity and compassion during this time me means more than words can express. Even if you are unable to provide financial assistance, it would be a tremendous help if you could share this fundraising campaign around - through email, text messages, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or any other social media site you utilize.

Thank you again for anything you can do to help out. Your compassion, support and generosity are greatly appreciated!

**For anyone willing to help but reluctant to utilize the GoFundMe app/website. Chandra and Josh also have Cash App & Chime Accounts, which can be utilized instead:

Cash App: $Chavezjandc

Chime: $Chandra-Chavez