On October 16, 2019, after a short but very hard battle, we lost our beloved son, brother and father of a 2 week old baby girl, to brain cancer. Patrick Anthony Allen was just 24 years old.

Patrick was a hard worker who loved to "pound nails" and build things. Whether is was construction, plumbing or electrical work, he was happiest when he was working on a project. He was so proud of his chicken coop and rabbit hutches. Nothing slowed him down, not even illness. Until his diagnosis.

In early 2019, we brought Patrick home to California from Wisconsin so he could receive medical treatment for the symptoms he was experiencing. After months of searching for answers, we finally received the devastating diagnosis. Stage 4 Astrocytoma. The doctors gave us a prognosis of 6 to 12 months. He was gone in just three.

In 2021, our family relocated to a small homestead in Northeast Ohio. Leaving Patrick behind was the hardest part of the move. But we truly believe he had a hand in where we ended up. On the way to his radiation treatments, we used to pass by a run down little hobby farm with ramshackle buildings and sad looking animals. I once told him that I wished I could buy it and turn it into a petting zoo with a storefront. Patrick smiled his crooked grin, made a little humph sound and said, "You'll get your dream someday."

While our homestead isn't a petting zoo, and we don't have a storefront, it is a small hobby farm filled with love. It has become a place of healing for our family. We plan to stay here for the rest of our lives and we believe Patrick is smiling down on it all.

One thing remains on our hearts. We want to bring Patrick home.

Recently, we received permission from our diocese to create a family plot on our land. Our dream is to lay Patrick to rest here, close to his family.

But moving Patrick from California to Ohio is very costly. We will need to purchase a new casket (his is cracked), cover cemetery costs on both ends, transport Patrick's remains across the country, and ship his headstone.

We had hoped to sell his current burial plot to fund this, but because he is still interred there, the sale is complicated. Ironically, the spot would sell quickly if it were unoccupied. It is a double plot in a small Catholic cemetery that is nearly full. And it will accommodate an upright headstone.

Here is our hope:

We are asking for help through this GoFundMe campaign to raise the funds needed to bring Patrick home. Once we are able to move him and sell his original plot, we will pay it forward in Patrick's honor.

Proceeds from the eventual plot sale will be donated to:

*A pediatric giving ministry that helps families of critically ill children

*A fund that assists families who can't afford funeral expenses for their loved one

*A trade school scholarship (such as St. Joseph the Worker in Steubenville) something that Patrick would have loved as he found so much joy in working with his hands.

Your donation will not only help to bring Patrick home, it will go on to bless others as well. We promise to keep you updated along the way with pictures and progress reports when the proceeds are disbursed once the plot is sold.

Please prayerfully consider donating and sharing our story. Your support means more than we can ever express.

Thank you and may God bless you for your generosity and kindness.

-The Allen Family