Dear friends, family, and compassionate strangers,

I am posting this Go Fund me with permission of Wendy Graves and the family. I am best friends with Shawna, Wendy's daughter.

It is with heavy hearts that we reach out for support during this incredibly difficult time. On October 19, 2024 Neil had a fall at home that required him to seek immediate medical care. Initially the doctors thought Neil was on the mend and he was going to be ok. Within a day Neil's health took a turn for the worse. He was admitted in the ICU in Ecuador, where he resides, that led to an pneumonia, having several heart attacks, strokes, seizures and ultimately his organs failed. Neil had no brain activity and his wife Wendy had to make a devasting decision to take Neil off life support and say goodbye to the love of her life. This has turned into a heartbreaking ordeal, as Neil required emergency medical care that insurance initially said they would cover and now insurance is fighting to not cover his medical expenses. Despite the efforts of medical professionals, we tragically lost Neil on November 4, 2024.

As you can imagine, the unexpected nature of these medical costs are hefty. As of right now Wendy has a bill of approximately $84,000 CAD. In order for the hospital to release Neil she has had to try and come up with what she could and now has a large payment plan that she only has 6 months to pay. This has placed a significant financial burden on our family.

For years, Neil was not only a committed firefighter but also a beloved husband, stepfather, son, friend and grandpa. He was very well known in the dog show community. Neil was passionate about all he put his heart into. His unwavering commitment to others touched countless lives, and we are heartbroken to have lost such an incredible soul.

We are humbly asking for donations to help alleviate some of these costs so we can honor Neil's memory without overwhelming financial hardship. Any amount, no matter how small, will go directly toward covering these expenses and bringing peace to our family during this challenging time.

If you’re unable to contribute, we ask that you keep us in your thoughts and prayers and share this fundraiser to help spread the word. You may also send etransfers directly to Wendy Graves. Go Fund Me doesn't allow email address to be added here, so please reach out for the email.

Thank you for your kindness, support, and love.