Hi everyone, I'm Neil and I'm looking to help build a safety net for the sons of Elizabeth, or Toni as we affectionately knew her up here in the Bay Area, as they build a new life without her in the wake of her death.

I've known Toni since the late 1980s. We always had each other's backs, and I even sponsored her for a stretch a couple of years ago. She is and was family. I was stunned to discover that on June 13th she lost her battle with mental health disease. It broke my heart, and my thoughts immediately turned to her son, Shawn who was born with many physical challenges and for whom Toni was a fierce Mama Wolf caregiver. She seriously went above and beyond to not just give him a stable life but one with love and adventure and curiosity. A life that she herself was rarely offered. I always admired her channeling her sometimes brutal upbringing into markers for what not to do for him.

Toni loved hard, laughed hard, was not to be trifled with, and hurt hard as well. My consolation is in knowing that her ghosts are finally at rest.

In the wake of her passing, Toni's older son, Damian immediately accepted the honor and duty of continuing to raise his little brother, along with a son of his own. He's got a good heart and great character and I'd love it if you could help me give them a good start. Shawn has continuing medical needs to consider as well as the challenge of keeping a 13yo bottomless pit fed and looking good!

Anything will be helpful for them, including simply sharing this campaign. If you're among those that are uncomfortable with GoFundMe you can also Venmo me at @Neil-Lepley. Either way it all gets transferred to Damian.

And please, please if you're feeling alone and hopeless, dial 988 to let it out. It's hard by ourselves. Someone hearing our hurt matters, a lot.