Funeral Expenses for Jed Leiknes

Jed Leiknes was my son, my shining star and best friend. 

He was a loving brother, friend and incredible dad to his daughter Avery.  A beautiful soul, broken at times but hopeful for so long, he found solace and healing through his art and his love for his family. He drew from his pain to create beautiful things. Not long ago, anxiety and depression became overwhelming for him and he sought out professional help but it was too little, too late. On December 22, 2017, Jed took his own life.

Jed's incredible tattoo work, paintings and other artwork will live on without him but will remind those of us he left behind that he is still with us.

In the wake of his death, we are left with not only his final expenses but the task organizing and taking care of all of his personal matters including shipping artwork and his final bills. We could not have been less prepared for this. Jed truly would not have wanted this for any of us but that is what depression can do. 

I ask those of you who either knew or knew of Jed to please help. 

He touched your life in some way. He was a loyal friend, he lovingly tattooed a memorial or just something crazy and wonderful on you, he painted you something magnificent or just lifted you up with his his humor.

The proceeds of this GoFundMe will help pay his funeral expenses and allow me to be able try to finish all he had going before he died like shipping your paintings and trying to tie up loose ends, pay his final bills and, of course, help his daughter Avery and Avery’s mom Amanda.

Please share this with friends and artist friends. Any additional funds will be earmarked as scholarship fund or something in that regard to help young artists and tattoo artists with an emphasis on depression and suicide awareness as those rates are phenonemally high with creatives. 

I know this will be seen by artists of every kind. Please know there is help for depression. If you find it hard to reach out personally, help really is a phone call away: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) and if you know of someone, anyone struggling, please reach out.
 
With love and great sadness,
Christine Calnin aka Jed's Mom
"A TALE TOLD BY AN IDIOT"  Jed Leiknes