**Molimo vas da obratite pažnju da se prevod na srpski jezik nalazi ispod verzije na engleskom jeziku**

I am writing to you on behalf of my cousin Ilija and his father Bosko. Theirs is a story of incredible resilience but also of profound loss.

I have not posted any current photos of Bosko and Ilija because they have not had any photos taken in over 22 years and had no means of doing so while living off the grid.

Bosko and Jasna came to Canada over 35 years ago with dreams of a new life. They were hard working people who contributed to their community from the moment they arrived. Jasna was a trained nurse in Serbia. When she arrived in Toronto, she began working at Our Lady of Mercy Wing. She started as a housekeeper and through her dedication she worked her way to becoming an administrator in the Emergency Department at St. Joseph’s Health Centre. Her ultimate goal was to obtain her Canadian nursing credentials to return to the profession she loved.

Everything changed when Bosko suffered a serious workplace injury. Shortly after, Jasna lost her job. This series of unfortunate events led to their eviction and was the beginning of a long and difficult decline.

For over 22 years, this family lived in the shadows in Toronto. They faced the unimaginable hardship of long term homelessness. They built their own shelter in the Don Valley to protect themselves and stay away from the dangers of the city. They were resourceful and stayed together as a family unit through every winter. While they were lost to the system, they never lost their devotion to one another. They survived day by day with dignity and resilience.

Tragically, after 30 years apart, we were finally able to reconnect with them. We discovered that Jasna had been bravely battling a terminal illness. She passed away recently from the illness. She spent her final years in a city far from home. Now, her husband and son have one final wish: to bring her back to Serbia to be laid to rest in the soil of her homeland.

Ilija and Bosko are exhausted. They have lived a hard life. They lost their home. Now they have lost the heart of their family. They want to go home to Serbia to start over. They want to have a roof over their heads and a place to finally grieve in peace.

The Goal: $30,000

The costs to facilitate this return and a dignified burial are overwhelming. We are raising funds to cover specific, high cost logistics required to get the family home and provide a final resting place for Jasna.

We are raising funds for:

International Repatriation and Jasna’s Final Farewell: Professional international transport of Jasna’s remains to Serbia alongside the funeral and interment services required upon her arrival home.

Essential Costs of Their Return: Professional cargo fees to move the family's belongings across the ocean and one way flights to Belgrade.

Getting Started in Serbia: The heavy costs of immediate relocation and securing modest housing so they can establish a safe, permanent home.

Professional Stewardship and Accountability

We want our supporters to know that these funds are being managed with the utmost care. I am working alongside my cousins to coordinate all payments directly to the professional services involved. This includes the funeral homes in both Canada and Serbia, travel agencies, and shipping logistics providers. We are ensuring total transparency. Every dollar shared is dedicated to these essential costs of their return, their new beginning in Serbia, and Jasna’s final farewell.

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Pišem vam u ime mog rođaka Ilije i njegovog oca Boška. Njihova priča je priča o neverovatnoj izdržljivosti ali i o dubokom gubitku.

Nisam objavila nijednu noviju fotografiju Boška i Ilije jer se nisu fotografisali više od 22 godina i nisu imali načina da to učine dok su živeli van svih sistema.

Boško i Jasna su došli u Kanadu pre više od 35 godina sa snovima o novom životu. Bili su vredni ljudi koji su doprinosili svojoj zajednici od trenutka kada su stigli. Jasna je bila medicinska sestra u Srbiji. Kada je stigla u Toronto, počela je da radi u odeljenju "Our Lady of Mercy Wing". Počela je kao spremačica i zahvaljujući svojoj posvećenosti napredovala je do pozicije administratora u hitnoj službi u bolnici St. Joseph’s Health Centre. Njen krajnji cilj bio je da dobije kanadsku licencu kako bi se vratila svojoj profesiji medicinske sestre koju je volela.

Sve se promenilo kada je Boško doživeo tešku povredu na radu. Ubrzo nakon toga, Jasna je izgubila posao. Ovaj niz nesrećnih događaja doveo je do njihovog iseljenja iz stana i bio je početak dugog i teškog propadanja.

Više od 22 godine, ova porodica je živela u senci u Torontu. Suočavali su se sa nezamislivim poteškoćama dugotrajnog beskućništva. Izgradili su sopstveno sklonište u dolini Don (Don Valley) kako bi se zaštitili i sklonili od gradskih opasnosti. Bili su snalažljivi i ostali su zajedno kao porodica kroz svaku zimu. Iako su bili van sistema, nikada nisu izgubili posvećenost jedni drugima. Preživljavali su dan za danom sa dostojanstvom i snagom.

Nažalost, baš kada smo konačno uspeli da se povežemo sa njima posle 30 godina razdvojenosti, saznali smo da se Jasna hrabro borila sa terminalnom bolešću. Preminula je nedavno od te bolesti. Svoje poslednje godine provela je u gradu daleko od kuće. Sada njen suprug i sin imaju jednu poslednju želju: da je vrate u Srbiju kako bi počivala u zemlji kojoj pripada.

Ilija i Boško su iscrpljeni. Proživeli su težak život. Izgubili su dom. Sada su izgubili i srce svoje porodice. Žele da se vrate u Srbiju kako bi započeli život iznova. Žele da imaju krov nad glavom i mesto gde konačno mogu u miru da tuguju.

Cilj: 30.000 dolara

Troškovi za omogućavanje ovog povratka i dostojanstvene sahrane su ogromni. Prikupljamo sredstva da pokrijemo specifične, visoke troškove logistike koji su neophodni da bi se porodica vratila kući i da bi Jasna imala večno počivalište.

Prikupljamo sredstva za:

Međunarodna repatrijacija i Jasnin poslednji ispraćaj: Profesionalni međunarodni transport Jasninih posmrtnih ostataka u Srbiju, kao i troškovi sahrane i ukopa koji su potrebni po njenom dolasku kući.

Osnovni troškovi njihovog povratka: Profesionalne kargo naknade za prenos njihovih stvari preko okeana i avionske karte u jednom pravcu do Beograda.

Početak života u Srbiji: Visoki troškovi hitnog preseljenja i obezbeđivanja skromnog smeštaja kako bi mogli da uspostave siguran i trajan dom.

Profesionalno upravljanje i odgovornost

Želimo da naši donatori znaju da se ovim sredstvima upravlja sa najvećom pažnjom. Radim zajedno sa svojim rođacima kako bismo koordinisali sve isplate direktno angažovanim službama. To uključuje pogrebna preduzeća u Kanadi i Srbiji, putničku agenciju i logistiku za transport. Obezbeđujemo potpunu transparentnost. Svaki donirani dolar je namenjen isključivo ovim osnovnim troškovima njihovog povratka, njihovom novom početku u Srbiji i Jasninom poslednjem ispraćaju.