For Owen and the Battles We Couldn’t See

With a broken heart, I am sharing the devastating and unimaginable loss of my brother Owen, who died by suicide at the age of 22. Owen was an incredibly gifted and loving child. He was my best friend and we always laughed together, made our parents watch magic shows, puppet shows, and crafted our own secret language. And so so many more happy memories.

He was so incredibly funny, quick witted, kind, helpful, and a gifted performer (theatre and choir). Sadly, in his later teen years he developed mental health issues, which got progressively worse. In January of this year, he committed to getting help for those struggles, and we were slowly rebuilding our lives with him. He seemed to be committed to living and was working hard on himself, his demons were just too powerful for him.

Whatever his struggles were, I believe that he is now whole again and at extreme peace. I am creating this fund to help with the unexpected costs that come with this unimaginable loss—funeral and memorial expenses, grief support for my mom and me, and to honor Owen in a way that reflects who he truly was.

If you are able to give, any amount is deeply appreciated. If you can’t donate, sharing this page means the world to me. And more than anything, I ask you to hold space for compassion—for those struggling, for those grieving, and for each other.

Owen, we love you forever, we like you for always, forever and ever our Owen you’ll be.

With gratitude,

Elaina Rezabek