Help a Marine Honor His Wife Melissa

I am 41 years old and heard my father cry today for the first time ever! I am making this GoFundMe in hopes to help my father.

My stepmother passed away just after 4 am this morning. She has had a rough path the last few years from being paralyzed from her waist down due to a blockage in her spinal cord, memory loss, lethargy, ataxia, and so many more battles no one should go through. She fought for so long to stay by my dad's side.

My dad ate through his savings when she was paralyzed overnight. They didn't see it coming. There was no planning or warning signs. He had to remodel his home for her to be able to get around and into rooms, buy a special bed for her, and hire help for her while he was at work.

I am seeking help for funeral costs; my dad was quoted at $4K. My dad is so tight on money that he's going to work tonight! He just lost his wife of 34 years. My heart breaks for him; this is the only way I can think to help him. God knows if I had the funds, I would pay for it all.

My dad is a good man! He spent his life giving to the less fortunate, holding fundraisers for St. Jude's Children's Hospital, and never letting someone go without! The Marine who stood tall and proud for his country and doesn't have a single mean cell in his body. And he is the one who needs help now!

Please help my dad get through this hard time in his life. Even if it's just $5.00, it will help tremendously! He has never asked for help; he was always the one giving. The one that taught me you can always help someone in need no matter your situation, and that anger and rudeness never get you anywhere.

I just want to wrap my arms around my dad and tell him everything will be okay! But I'm in Florida and he is in Ohio, and I feel helpless. So this is my way of trying to help. Like my dad said, you can always offer help! You just got to look for it! You can always find help for someone if you try hard enough!

We love you, Melissa. We will miss you greatly, and we will make sure dad is okay!