My name is Faith. I'm an international student from Kenya, studying in Washington State to become a nurse practitioner. Early Saturday morning, my father passed away suddenly, thousands of miles away from me.

He had been having chest pains for three days. He had been diagnosed with emphysema and bronchitis, but none of us thought we would lose him so soon. I was on the other side of the world when it happened, and I still can't fully believe it.

I haven't seen my dad in four years. I was counting down to this December, when I planned to fly home and hug him again. Now I'm too late for that reunion. The heartbreak of not having been there, of not getting to say goodbye, is something I carry every minute.

My dad was a businessman and a farmer, and the pillar of our family. He believed in education more than anything. He sold his land, including our ancestral land, so my siblings and I could go to school. Even when he was sick, he still made sure we got there. When we were small, he walked us to primary school himself to make sure we were safe. Everything I am working toward, I owe to him.

Now my family is grieving, and I need to be with them. I want to stand beside my mother and siblings, help lay my father to rest, and honor the man who gave so much for us. But I have to cover emergency flights and funeral costs with almost no notice, and that is more than I can manage alone.

Your donation will go toward:

• My emergency flight home to Kenya

• Funeral and burial expenses for my father

• Travel costs while I'm with my family

I'm asking for your support in one of the hardest moments of my life. If you can give, thank you from the bottom of my heart. If you can't, sharing this or keeping my family in your prayers means just as much.

Thank you for standing with me, and with my dad's memory.

With gratitude,

Faith