Help the Carty Family

Our hearts are broken for our dear friends and neighbors, the Carty family. Their daughter Rachel passed away after a long battle with mitochondrial disease, the same disease that took her oldest brother Joshua 13 years ago. We're raising funds to help them cover funeral expenses for Rachel.

Mitochondrial disease is a debilitating disease that impacts a person’s ability to convert food and oxygen into life-sustaining energy. And although the disease impacts people differently, the Carty family have been hit particularly hard by it, losing two of their five children at the ages of 21 and 30.

Before the effects of mitochondrial disease, Rachel had a full and happy life. She was a natural athlete who skied and played basketball, soccer, volleyball, and tennis. She was always very independent and intelligent. She completed two years of college before the disease made it impossible for her to continue. She loved spending time with her parents and four brothers, camping and enjoying the outdoors. She was a kind and loving person, lifting those around her through her gentle, sweet spirit. All of us are better for having known her.

Rachel spent the last two years of her life bedridden and in constant pain. She was on heavy doses of pain medication and could not eat anything more than ice chips and a thick smoothie once in a while. She received most of her nutrients through a gastric tube in her stomach. Her family supported her through all of this, providing her 24-7 care in their home.

Unfortunately, the nature of Rachel’s disease made it impossible to get life insurance to cover funeral costs. We want to help the Carty family raise enough money to bury Rachel next to her brother Joshua in Montana. Please help us provide financial support to an amazing and loving family who has dealt with so much hardship and loss.