Hi everyone,

My heart is heavy as I write this, but I’m reaching out during the most painful time of my life.

My dad — my best friend, my hero, my forever fishing buddy — passed away after a tragic car accident. What started as a few broken ribs and a bruised lung turned out to be something so much more serious. A slow brain bleed went undetected, and despite every hope and prayer, we had to say goodbye.

He was truly one of a kind. A Bigfoot believer, a proud dog grandfather, the man who taught me how to cast a fishing line and how to laugh even on the hardest days. He was a person that could start a conversation with absolutely anyone and turn their day around. I’ve always been a daddy’s girl — we were two peas in a pod — and I can’t put into words how much I miss him already.

Right now, I’m trying to raise funds to cremate my dad out of state and bring him home. Unfortunately, hospitals won’t transport someone who’s passed across state lines from Illinois, and this has created an unexpected and urgent issue as I need to return home to all of my animals but I won't do so unless I'm bringing my father with me.

If you’re able to contribute anything at all — whether it’s $5 or just sharing this fundraiser — it would mean the world to me. Every dollar will go directly toward his cremation and transportation costs so we can lay him to rest where he belongs: home.

Thank you for loving him, for praying for us, and for being part of our lives. My dad loved everyone and we will miss him dearly.

With love,

Sara Kieser-Passerini and family.