On July 27th at 8:32am, our world shattered.

We lost our dad — Edward Swain. A man whose love didn’t always come in words, but in long hours, calloused hands, and sacrifices we’re only just beginning to understand. He was a blue-collar man who worked in asphalt his whole life — sunup to sundown, through heat, rain, and exhaustion — so that we could have a roof over our heads, food on the table, and a life full of love and stability.

He never complained. He never stopped. He just did what needed to be done. And he always made sure we were okay.

Now, he’s gone, and nothing feels okay.

My mom has lost the love of her life. Her best friend. Her teammate of so many years. She doesn’t have a job right now, and she’s facing a future she never imagined — one without the man who handled everything, one where she’s now left to carry the weight alone.

He’s also leaving behind four daughters, all heartbroken. Each of us trying to make sense of a world that suddenly feels upside down.

As my wedding day draws nearer, I’m feeling the weight of moving forward without my dad more deeply than ever. His absence is a quiet ache in every preparation, and your support means the world to us.

I had pictured the moment he would walk me down the aisle a thousand times. Now instead of preparing for one of the happiest days of my life, I’m trying to navigate through this grief and a life without him. There are no words for how wrong that feels.

We started this GoFundMe to give our mom some breathing room — time to grieve without the fear of losing her home or falling behind on bills. Time to figure out how to begin again without the man who made everything possible.

If you knew my dad, you know how fiercely he loved his family. If you didn’t, know this: he gave everything he had, every single day, and never once asked for anything in return.

Now we’re asking — for him, for our mom, and for the family he held together with quiet strength and unconditional love.

Thank you for reading. For donating. For sharing. And most of all, for helping us honor the man who gave us everything.