It's never easy when tragedy hits your family. It is a time to band together and support in any way possible. 

On April 28, 2018, Gilbert Espinet was doing what he loved most—riding his Harley—when he was hit by a driver of an SUV who was under the influence. As a result of the accident, he sustained multiple, severe injuries including traumatic brain injury. Given the gravity of it all, the future is still uncertain, and we can only take it one day at a time, but we already know he will require long-term rehabilitation and care.

Gil is a devoted father to Jean-Luc and Chelsea and loving husband to Brigitte. He is a big personality whose smile could power the sun. He would do absolutely anything for those he loves and is the type of man who would be highly distressed at the thought of being incapable of providing for his family. This family is now facing the daunting task of figuring out how to manage life under these new circumstances. There is a significant loss of income with only Brigitte working, and with the mounting medical care costs and the day-to-day expenses that don’t disappear when tragedy hits, we have no idea what the extent of their financial hardship will be.

Besides all of this, Chelsea will be graduating from high school in just a couple weeks. It is heartbreaking to know that Gil will not be able to attend his baby girl’s graduation ceremony that he had been so eagerly anticipating. Though Chelsea has opted to stay at home for college, there are still all the costs associated with transitioning from high school to college that they need to deal with. Jean-Luc, a talented artist, is selling his work to contribute as much as possible. Our huge, crazy Caribbean family is stepping up in every way we can think of to make sure this difficult time is not made worse by financial burden, but we’re also reaching out for additional help because even the smallest gesture will make a difference.

Thank you in advance for your love and support.

Please understand that due to the circumstances of the accident, it is important we limit the amount of information released. As such, updates may be scarce and should not be duplicated on social media.