Emerson and Isley Lost Their Father
Hi friends and family. Tragedy has left us heartbroken. I have two precious nieces, Emerson and Isley:
These two vibrant girls are the daughters of my sister Tatum and brother-in-law Christopher “Chris” Duckworth. Emerson is eight and Isley is six. These girls have big ideas and even bigger dreams. Emerson has a scientific mind. She loves robots and is learning to build them. Isley is small but mighty. She adores ballet and is lights out on the basketball court. To say it simply, they are exceptional little girls, shaped beautifully and inspired by loving and innovative parents.
On January 25th, 2021, their father and my sister’s husband, Chris, passed away tragically and suddenly, leaving them and our entire family completely broken and in disbelief. Chris was only 46. He was a hardworking, brilliant man with an amazing sense of humor, big ideas, and a knack for inventing. He poured his heart and soul into his two daughters and inspired their big hearts and creative minds.
This devastating loss has completely shattered our family. As a full-time parent, my sister Tatum is discovering her world turned upside down. There were things they wanted to do, places they wanted to go, experiences they wanted to share, and so many words left unsaid. He cared for her so greatly and together they both patiently nurtured and cultivated their love. It lives on through the lives of their daughters. The loss of Chris has raised so many questions that she never imagined she would face.
Losing Chris has created a ripple of emotional and financial problems. The mental and spiritual battles are seemingly insurmountable. She no longer has the comforting force that kept all of her fears at bay. She doesn't have the presence of her husband to calm her. She wasn't ready to let him go.
Emerson and Isley both witnessed their father’s final moments. It has caused them to experience anxiety and a growing sadness that they cannot quite comprehend. Isley frequently whispers in panic to her mom that she cannot feel her heart beat. Emerson is having nightmares and feels like she needs to finish her father’s unfinished projects and learn how to do the things he did around the house. These should not be thoughts they have to endure at ages six and eight. They can’t quite perceive the magnitude of it all and are trying to make sense of what happened to their daddy.
Chris was always focused on helping others. He supported his family faithfully for over a decade. He served his church heartily through filming the services and bringing online ministry to those at home due to Covid. He supported and helped his work colleagues without any hesitation. He was a consultant to new business owners. He put so many individuals’ needs before his own and impacted so many. He made all of us laugh! There isn’t enough time nor enough words to describe all of the ways and the capacity of people that he inspired and served.
Several people have asked how they can help. I must admit that accepting help has always been very difficult for me and my family. Like so many of you, we have always seemed to manage and those of you who are familiar with my sister know that she is extremely private and self-reliant. However, this event has shown me that some losses are so big that they require us to step out of our comfort zones and simply accept the help people genuinely want to give.
There is no perfect solution to fix this immeasurable loss. We have faith that arranging this fund will lighten the burden. My hope is that it will provide resources for their current circumstances and help towards the higher education needed for their daughters to develop and fully realize their talents and dreams. This is what Chris would have wanted and it is what Tatum, Emerson, and Isley need now.
If you are able to donate and financially support them through this transition, we would greatly appreciate it. If not, we ask only that you please pray for them and share this with anyone you think may be able to help.
Thank you all.
Just before his passing, Chris and Tatum developed a script and together with their girls they brought that script to life in their own personal YouTube series that they called "Tiny Titans.” This YouTube show, was centered on the newly discovered super powers of two young girls. Chris wanted his girls to know that they are powerful beyond measure and can do and be anything they want to be.
Unfortunately, due to his untimely death, they were only able to film and publish the trailer and just one of their weekly episodes.