Yesterday my sister, Stacie Dery received news every parent fears. Her first son, my nephew, Travis Merrit has passed away.

As many of you know, Travis has spent the past couple years living in California as a carefree spirit who loved and felt deeply. Travis was incredibly smart, talented, and musical soul. He picked up the guitar as a young teen and it was practically attached to his hands from that moment forward. His musical talents were incredible.

The circumstances of Travis’s passing are sad but we have ultimately decided that sharing them is the best path forward. Travis suffered with his own demons, as many of us do and unfortunately he turned to drug use that ultimately ended his life far to young. We ask that you don’t negatively judge him for the choices he made because none of us know what it is like to walk in his shoes. His choices didn’t make him bad person or unworthy of our help but, you could say they did make him more worthy of our compassion and attempt to understand his struggles.

Travis was loved, very much.  
Travis will be missed, very much.
Travis will be remembered with love.
Our shared memories will help heal our heavy hearts.

 As mentioned above Travis lived in California on his own. None of our family was there. This gofundme is to raise money to help my sister, Travis’s mother to pay for the cremation of Travis and to travel from Florida to California and back to collect his cremated remains and spread his ashes overtime in places she sees fit. All money donated will be used for these purposes.

If you can find it in your heart and have the extra funds any donation small or large would help ease this unexpected and painful burden my sister is left with