My parents' love story began in Washington DC, where my mother, originally from Lima, Peru, and my father, from Stuttgart, Germany, met and found one another. Despite coming from different parts of the world, they built a life together and were married for over 49 years. Through every hardship, they remained devoted to each other, never apart even in their final days. My mother passed away suddenly, and just five days later, my father—who had been living with dementia and blindness—followed her. Losing both of them within a week has been an unimaginable loss for our family.

They leave behind two children, Siegfried (45) and Heidi (36), who are now faced with the challenge of honoring their parents' memory. We want to give them the farewell they deserve by burying them together, just as they lived their lives. The expenses are overwhelming, especially since my father had dementia and did not have life insurance. All costs are coming out of our pockets, including transporting them from Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina, back to their hometown of Bowie, Maryland.

If you knew my parents, you would know how inseparable they were, always supporting each other through thick and thin. This was truly a love story to the end. We need your help during this difficult time, and any support you can offer would mean the world to our family. Your kindness will help us lay them to rest together and honor the love they shared for nearly five decades.