One Last Gift for Gina Latshaw

You may have heard the story about Gina Latshaw's death on the news. Words used by the media like "Everett woman", "murdered mother" and "legal guardian" are cold words, used by people who didn't know her. The news is only telling you the murderer's side of the story, and that's cruel. Her name is Gina Latshaw, and she was a mother, an aunt, a sister, a daughter, a granddaughter, a soulmate, a friend, a confidante, a giver, a traveler, a scholar, and so much more.

We want to tell you Gina's side of the story: The one about a wonderful, beautiful, smart woman with an irresistible personality who was quick to laugh and had a sparkle in her eyes. She was looking forward to a bright future with her true love. She was the kind of person who made the world better just by existing, and her death has devastated anyone who was lucky enough to really know her.

We're trying to honor her by fulfilling her last wishes for her funeral. She trusted us with those wishes. This is the very last thing that we can give to her; the last way to give back a little bit of what she gave to us. And we really need help to do that.

Gina was such a giving person, and she spent her life helping others. She was involved in charities, did volunteer work, and was an advocate for better care of the mentally ill.

She had such vast love for her children, and she was an absolutely doting mom. She was so devoted that even as a young woman she used the money from her own college fund to take in and become the mother of three small children, suspending her own college degree to put the children that she loved first. From then on, Gina always put her daughters and son before herself. She should not be defined by the way she died, but the way she lived.

These words can't even do her justice.

Please help us give Gina one last gift.

Thank you.