This GoFundMe account has been set up by friends and family of Patrick Dougan and Lindsay Gaona Dougan with their approval.  I am Kimberly, Patrick's sister.  If you've been lucky enough to be able to spend time with the couple over the last several years, you know what love looks like - cartoon heart-shaped eyes gazing at each other, laughing, making the little things count, and the occasional bickering.  They are both proud people who have difficulty asking for help, especially financially.  We've done this out of love and admiration for the people they are separately and, more importantly, the people they are together. 



A little bit about Patrick and Lindsay for those of you that may not know them individually or as a couple:

Patrick and Lindsay started out as coworkers and friends eight years ago and began dating about four years ago.  I remember talking with my brother and knowing he was seriously interested in this girl that kept appearing on his facebook page.  He wasn't sure if she was interested in more than friendship and didn't know if their lives were about to head in two different directions.  At that point, they had both graduated from the University of Texas, but Lindsay wasn't sure how soon or where her interest in a masters degree might take her.  However, after hearing about what made him think she might be interested, I told him to throw caution to the wind and go for it (maybe not those exact words) - as I'm sure he (and maybe she) heard elsewhere.  They are both good, compassionate, and generous people, and together they make one hell of a team.  They are thoughtful of each other, make each other laugh, and support one another through the tough times as well as the terrific ones. 



They moved from Austin, TX to Denver, CO together with their two dogs about a year and a half ago when Lindsay was accepted to the University of Colorado's Masters program in Modern Human Anatomy, a new program being offered that combines her love of bones with her love of investigation and, now, imaging.  She hasn't let all the adulting that she does get in the way of finding joy and excitement in life's little pleasures - baby animals, little piggies, anatomical heart shaped things, dia de los muertos momentos, sugar skulls, good food and drink, and the miracle that is the human body (veins, muscles, bones, brain, and more).   After working hard in the meat department at Whole Foods in Austin, Patrick had no trouble finding a similar job at a Whole Foods in Denver and, while working his way up the ranks at Whole Foods, has started his official apprenticeship in butchery through Whole Foods.  This apprenticeship, an accomplished goal in itself, is step one in his long term career goals.  Watching them live life to the fullest, enjoying the little moments together, and supporting each other as they follow their dreams reminds us not to take our love for granted.



The situation that brought us here today:

As many of you know, Patrick and Lindsay were recently married in Austin, TX (3/24/16).  You may have also heard that the bag containing all the cards with their well-wishes and monetary gifts has not been seen since late on the night of the wedding.  Over the next several days, people who helped wrap up the party were contacted and everyone checked and rechecked all the places the bag might have been misplaced - with no success.  A police report has been filed just in case, but they've failed to even have the detective call for an initial chat.  Whether due to theft (which seems to be what happened), accidentally being put out with the trash, or something else, the result is the same: Patrick and Lindsay lost the money they were going to use to payback a loan taken out for the wedding, purchase some necessities, and possibly start their honeymoon fund.  Unfortunately, the stress and anxiety that followed left a mark on their happy day.

We are setting the goal at an arbitrary number.  There's no way to know how much money went missing; their wedding bills are likely more than this.  For those of you not familiar with GoFundMe, please know that they will receive your gift regardless of meeting the goal and that you may still give after their goal is met.  Thank you so much for your time reading this and check back for updates.

Let's help them start their life as newlyweds on a better note.  Let's raise some money to help them get back on track.

Wedding photos, including campaign photo, by Prima Luce Studio

Much love,
Kimberly Dougan