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On April 7, 2020, we lost our dear friend Christopher Davis to COVID-19. Chris was husband of 25-years to Jeraya Walker Davis; father to Kwasheek, Tmyah, and Soley Davis; and grandfather to Bella.
Chris was a cardiovascular invasive specialist who spent long days with his colleagues in some of the most intensely stressful hospital environments. We presume that he contracted COVID-19 while performing the job he loved, sometime in mid-March. His decline was rapid and painful, landing him in the intensive care unit and unable to breathe on his own just days after seeking treatment.
Jeraya describes Chris as her twin soul. The two met as teenagers in Trenton, NJ, and married young. They weathered the ups and downs of their 25-year marriage with grace, faith, and good humor. They raised three beautiful, brilliant children and proudly went on to send them to college as first generation students. They repeatedly proved that anything was possible as long as they did it together.
Because the hospital was (and continues to be) under a coronavirus lockdown, Jeraya and the kids were only able to see Chris together as a family *one time* before he died. Without relatives or a support system where the Davises live in Georgia, Jeraya has had to deal with this horrific experience on her own. From fiercely advocating for Chris to supporting the children through the loss of their father, and fighting to get workers compensation from Chris’ employer (only to be DENIED the day before his death!) to identifying her husband’s body via text message and by toe tag only–Jeraya has been painfully alone.
Now, with mounting medical bills, funeral expenses, and a family to support, she’s once again feeling the pain of being alone. But we can do something to prove that Jeraya isn’t in this by herself.
Together, we can rise up and be the village of friends and family that Jeraya needs. If we pool our resources and donate to this fundraiser, we can give Jeraya, Kwasheek, Tmyah, Soley, and Baby Bella hope for a future that is stable and secure despite the loss of their beloved husband/father/grandfather.
Your donation will go towards funeral services (which will require transporting Chris’ body from Georgia to his home state of New Jersey), hospital bills, the remaining 22 months of the Davis family’s rental lease, and ongoing living expenses. Chris was the sole breadwinner in the family and had only a small life insurance policy which won’t be enough to carry the family for long. Given this, Jeraya urgently needs our help.
We ask you to donate to Jeraya and her family as they struggle to pick up the pieces and move forward. Every dollar matters, and all money from the Davis Family Hope Fund will go directly to her and the kids. When you give, you’ll help honor Chris and keep his spirit alive by supporting the people he loved most.
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A note about the organizers of the Davis Family Hope Fund:
PaKou Her (Kansas City, MO) and Mariah Sixkiller (Seattle, WA) are longtime childhood friends of Jeraya Davis. In the summer of 1988, the three of us found ourselves bunkmates at Farm & Wilderness Camps in Vermont's Green Mountains. Together we romped through the woods, swam in Woodward Reservoir, snuck out of our cabins at night, caused all kinds of delightful trouble, and cemented what would become a 35-year friendship. Our friendship has survived deep valleys and high peaks, all of it giving us the resilience to weather numerous challenges. Now, the deep and abiding love we have for Jeraya as sister-friends inspires us to do whatever we can for her during this difficult time.
As the coordinators of this effort, we intend to have all funds distributed directly to Jeraya at the close of this campaign, and she will be the sole beneficiary. Mariah and PaKou *will not* handle withdrawals or distribution of funds; our only task is spearheading this effort, generating donations, and offering occasional updates to donors.
Chris was a cardiovascular invasive specialist who spent long days with his colleagues in some of the most intensely stressful hospital environments. We presume that he contracted COVID-19 while performing the job he loved, sometime in mid-March. His decline was rapid and painful, landing him in the intensive care unit and unable to breathe on his own just days after seeking treatment.
Jeraya describes Chris as her twin soul. The two met as teenagers in Trenton, NJ, and married young. They weathered the ups and downs of their 25-year marriage with grace, faith, and good humor. They raised three beautiful, brilliant children and proudly went on to send them to college as first generation students. They repeatedly proved that anything was possible as long as they did it together.
Because the hospital was (and continues to be) under a coronavirus lockdown, Jeraya and the kids were only able to see Chris together as a family *one time* before he died. Without relatives or a support system where the Davises live in Georgia, Jeraya has had to deal with this horrific experience on her own. From fiercely advocating for Chris to supporting the children through the loss of their father, and fighting to get workers compensation from Chris’ employer (only to be DENIED the day before his death!) to identifying her husband’s body via text message and by toe tag only–Jeraya has been painfully alone.
Now, with mounting medical bills, funeral expenses, and a family to support, she’s once again feeling the pain of being alone. But we can do something to prove that Jeraya isn’t in this by herself.
Together, we can rise up and be the village of friends and family that Jeraya needs. If we pool our resources and donate to this fundraiser, we can give Jeraya, Kwasheek, Tmyah, Soley, and Baby Bella hope for a future that is stable and secure despite the loss of their beloved husband/father/grandfather.
Your donation will go towards funeral services (which will require transporting Chris’ body from Georgia to his home state of New Jersey), hospital bills, the remaining 22 months of the Davis family’s rental lease, and ongoing living expenses. Chris was the sole breadwinner in the family and had only a small life insurance policy which won’t be enough to carry the family for long. Given this, Jeraya urgently needs our help.
We ask you to donate to Jeraya and her family as they struggle to pick up the pieces and move forward. Every dollar matters, and all money from the Davis Family Hope Fund will go directly to her and the kids. When you give, you’ll help honor Chris and keep his spirit alive by supporting the people he loved most.
––––––
A note about the organizers of the Davis Family Hope Fund:
PaKou Her (Kansas City, MO) and Mariah Sixkiller (Seattle, WA) are longtime childhood friends of Jeraya Davis. In the summer of 1988, the three of us found ourselves bunkmates at Farm & Wilderness Camps in Vermont's Green Mountains. Together we romped through the woods, swam in Woodward Reservoir, snuck out of our cabins at night, caused all kinds of delightful trouble, and cemented what would become a 35-year friendship. Our friendship has survived deep valleys and high peaks, all of it giving us the resilience to weather numerous challenges. Now, the deep and abiding love we have for Jeraya as sister-friends inspires us to do whatever we can for her during this difficult time.
As the coordinators of this effort, we intend to have all funds distributed directly to Jeraya at the close of this campaign, and she will be the sole beneficiary. Mariah and PaKou *will not* handle withdrawals or distribution of funds; our only task is spearheading this effort, generating donations, and offering occasional updates to donors.
