Help lay Anthony Veiza to rest

With devastating and heartbreaking news, we have to announce the passing of my cousin Anthony, age 25, who died by suicide on August 7, 2022, after a battle with depression. Since Anthony was a little boy, he had always dreamed of joining the Navy to follow in his grandpa's footsteps. He ended up joining the Navy in 2017. He was then stationed in San Diego, CA. He had started studying to become a paramedic and graduated soon after and within that time, something shifted. Anthony became very distant from family, with no calls, no letters, and zero communication with his family. Anthony had started to isolate himself from others. We are not sure if what he experienced or witnessed in the Navy impacted the reasoning for this. Soon after, the Navy called my aunt Janette and was told Anthony had left the station and hadn't returned for some time. As we became worried, we thought he would show up soon after, but he never did. The Navy told us to look out for him if he returned home and let them know. The Navy was also supposed to be looking for him, running his social to see if he got a job, checking anything they could until August 5, 2022. The day my aunt Janette was shocked to see two police officers at her front door to be told that her one and only son, Anthony, had committed suicide in Bellingham, Wash. After flying from Dallas, TX to Washington to confirm his body, my aunt found many scars on his body from cutting himself a numerous amount of times. We weren't aware of what Anthony was going through mentally and physically, but from what we can conclude, he was going through a heavy depression for some time. We are very hurt to have to hear this news. He was supposed to be home soon with his mom and family, but instead, we are having to ship his body to Dallas from Washington and have a funeral service for him here in his hometown.

As a family, we are never ready to hear such devastating news. Therefore, we are asking for help to cover his funeral costs, the shipping of his body and burial. Since Anthony left the Navy without being honorably discharged, they are unwilling to help cover his funeral costs. Thank you for reading his story. We hope and pray that anybody out there struggling with depression seeks help before a tragedy like this happens again.

Rest in peace cousin, we love you.

September 12, 1996- August 7, 2022