Dear friends, family, and kind-hearted strangers,

On Monday, September 23rd, the unthinkable happened, my dad (Tim Wisneski) took his last breath. He had struggled with multiple health issues for as long as I can remember, and frankly I began to think he was invincible. It all started with Diabetes, which led to kidney failure and eventually weekly kidney dialysis treatments. And then with Diabetes comes a whole host of other health problems which led to several heart attacks, depression, an amputation of his right leg, multiple infections, sepsis, etc. His doctors were even often surprised or amazed at how he made it through one health crisis after another and another. But that all changed this week, when his heart finally failed him, and the medical team could not revive him. He had just turned 54 years old a little over a month ago and had so much more life to live. Now as his only daughter at the age of nineteen, I am tasked with burying my dad. He was not married, he was not good with money, and most of his life he lived paycheck to paycheck. But matters really took a turn for the worst when a week after he had his leg amputated due to a severe infection, his employer of ten years let him go. Because they said his leave of absence seemed “indefinite” as he had been off work for so many months. He not only lost his job, but his health and life insurance. He applied for Medicaid but was denied, and the mountain of medical bills just kept growing with every new day. A week before he passed, he was back in the hospital prepping to have more of his leg amputated as the infection continued to spread. He had just finished his dialysis treatment when his heart stopped beating. My grandparents arrived at his hospital room ready to send him off for another surgery but instead they were told their son had passed away moments before they arrived. Even in their late eighties they were always there for my dad, they loved him unconditionally and never gave up hope.

As my family and I come to terms with my dad’s passing, we are faced with the challenge of arranging his final farewell. We want to give him the dignified and heartfelt send-off he deserves, but unfortunately, the financial burden of funeral expenses is overwhelming for me and my grandparents during this already tough time. I am currently a Sophomore in College pursuing a degree in Elementary education. So, as you can imagine I am the typical broke college kid. And my grandparents are living on only social security benefits. I was shocked when we went to the funeral home and even the cheapest options quickly added up to over ten thousand dollars. We are scrambling to figure out how to pay for his service before Monday, September 30th when we lay him to rest without incurring major interest charges and fees.

We are running out of time and have no choice but to humbly reach out to our family, friends, and community for help to honor my dad’s memory. Any contribution, no matter how small, will help to alleviate the financial strain and allow us to focus on grieving and remembering him fondly.

All funds raised will go towards his funeral service, cremation costs, burial, and headstone. Your generosity will truly make such a meaningful difference in allowing us to lay him to rest with the dignity and respect he deserves.

My family and I also appreciate your thoughts, prayers, and messages of support during this challenging time. Your kindness and heartfelt messages have meant so much to us as we continue to navigate through our grief. Thank you so much for your compassion and generosity. Together, I hope we can give my dad the farewell he deserves.

With heartfelt gratitude, Hannah Elizabeth