My brother Levi Allen Roper was a troubled soul from the very beginning. Our mother struggled with addiction, and our father was in and out of our lives. We were taken by DHS as children because of our mother's drug use, and Levi, who was just 14 months older than me, always tried to protect me. When he was 13, he went on the road with our dad to Saint Louis, but unfortunately, he was exposed to even more hardship. He began using drugs at a young age and suffered from severe schizophrenia, which only worsened over time. Levi also endured abuse at a daycare in Sperry, Oklahoma, adding to the pain he carried throughout his life.

Despite everything, Levi had an intense relationship with God and always tried to help others. Our mother, Troy Lynn Roper, died of a drug overdose while Levi was in prison, and our father has also passed away. We never had the chance to give them a proper farewell—no gravestone, no ashes, not even an urn. When our mother passed, the last time I saw her was when the gurney wheeled her away. I don't want that to be Levi's story, too.

I want to have Levi cremated and keep his ashes in an urn, to bring him home to Nevada or to some of his favorite places. The funds raised will help cover the costs of cremation, an urn, and travel expenses. If anyone can or would like to help me do this for my brother, I would be forever grateful. I promise to pay it forward, just as Levi and I were helped in our lives. Working in downtown Reno for the past four years, I see people like Levi every day—people who struggle, but who also help each other. It's a kind of magic, and I pray I can give Levi a little bit of that magic from the realest place in my heart. I miss my brother deeply, and he deserves a proper burial so he can be at peace with our father Christ in heaven.

I will always miss you and cherish our time and you as my big brother. Miss you, Bwopes One.