Hi friends. My niece Emma lost her father last month after a long illness. At only 23 years old, she now faces the overwhelming challenge of navigating her young life without her father. Emma’s mother died when she was very young, and her dad, Bob, raised her as a single father. She was an only child, and the two of them were thick as thieves. He always provided for her and did the best he could to give her a good life. Now she is not only grieving the loss of her only remaining parent, she is also faced with the very stressful responsibilities that come with the death of a parent, such as settling his affairs and planning his memorial celebration.

Additionally, Emma just lost her job. It was her first full-time job since college, and she enjoyed the work and making new friends. When her boss inexplicably refused to grant her bereavement leave after her father’s death, she made a complaint to HR. The boss then granted her ONE day of bereavement leave. Then, just three days before Thanksgiving, the boss fired her without cause and with no notice, taking away her only source of income and giving her only 5 days to find new health insurance. We believe she was fired in retaliation for the complaint to HR. Her boss’ heartless actions have caused Emma additional stress and anxiety during an already painful time.

I am reaching out on Emma’s behalf to ask friends and family to help support her with:

• Cremation and memorial expenses, including helping Emma cover the cost to travel home from Washington to host a memorial celebration to honor her father’s life with friends and family.

• Help with living expenses to give her space to grieve and maintain her self-care while she figures out her next steps.

Emma is a lovely, kind, and resilient young woman who deserves a good life. Thank you so much for helping support her through this painful and difficult time.