Honoring Gary and Linda's Legacy

My name is Joshua and I find myself in need of your help. My father, Gary, has recently passed away, which has left me with a large financial burden. My mother, Linda, passed away almost two years ago after 42 years of marriage with my father. In that time, we were both recovering financially from caring for my mother during her treatment and final days.

These last two years, I have been trying to keep my dad in good spirits, but he was never able to move on. His grief and depression were too strong of a demon. This led to him being very sedentary. He had no interest in leaving the house, not even to drive around on a nice day. He was the kind of guy that enjoyed taking a drive down the long scenic route. Around the time of New Year was when the depression took its strongest hold. The biggest worry was his appetite; I think he was only eating because I was there sharing the meals with him. But still, he fainted one night while getting ready for bed. I had to call the paramedics to help pick him up off the floor; he refused to go to the hospital. But the next day, he couldn't find the strength to stand on his own and decided to go to the hospital. The doctors said his organs were retaining water while also being dehydrated. They transferred him to a short and long-term care facility where he was getting mobility rehab, but the evening of July 3rd, they took him to the emergency room because a test came back that his heart counts were down. He didn't come across as being worried to me, but by early afternoon on July 4th, his heart failed. The staff were able to revive him and were planning on getting a temporary device that could help his heart, but his heart gave out again. They weren't able to bring him back again.

With his loss, I now have his mortgage to finish paying off and transferring the title/deed to my name, as well as his car. This is on top of the funeral expenses. As I mentioned before, we were both recovering financially, and the retirement funds that my parents had were mostly used for my mother's care and funeral. As it is, I do not know if there is much that I will be inheriting to pay for any of the expenses.

"For better, for worse; in sickness and in health"—the parts of the wedding vow that really rang true with my parents. My father's place of employment burning down along with all his tools, my mother's two battles with cancer, my father's cancer battle, the sacrifices they made for each other, and the support that they gave each other for 42 years. Before my parents had met, my father's upbringing was chaotic. My father's family moved often, and my father, being the oldest, became the caretaker of his siblings while my grandparents worked. My mother was the third born of four; her parents had divorced. Split custody wasn't like it is these days; there were just times she lived with her father and times she lived with her mother. But being Native American in the 50s and 60s in Oklahoma, she wasn't taught her tribe's language. My grandparents thought it would hold their children back. She also went to an Indian boarding school, but it was no longer like the horror stories from the early days of the Indian boarding schools; today, it is just a high school.

So the one thing that my parents both wanted was to lay roots. This house they wanted to live and grow old in; they were originally renting the second-floor apartment when the woman who owned it made an offer to my parents. They wanted this house to be passed to me. Even though I'm 41, I feel like it's too soon, that they both should still be here.

Why they are fundraising: I am fundraising to cover the financial burdens left by my father's passing, including the mortgage, title transfer, and funeral expenses.

Who/What they are fundraising for: I am fundraising for myself to manage the financial responsibilities left by my parents' passing.