Dear friends and family,

We come to you during this difficult time with heavy hearts, but also with an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the outpouring of love and support you have shown us. Your calls and visits, meals and care packages, and kind words have meant more to us than we can express.

As we grieve the loss of our beloved 6-year-old Ikaika, we ask that you join us in remembering his infectious laughter and twinkling eyes, his sensitivity and acceptance of others, his thirst for knowledge and exuberance for life, and his bright and uplifting spirit. Ikaika was a ray of sunshine in our lives, the literal beating heart of our home. He brought joy and laughter to all those around him and true to his nature, taught us important life lessons about humility, forgiveness, and unconditional love. We will forever treasure the memories we have of him, and we hope you will do the same.

Unfortunately, the financial burden of Ikaika’s parents missing work for several weeks to be by his side in the Pediatric ICU, paired with Ikaika's mountainous medical bills and funeral costs, has placed a significant strain on Kathleen and Jon. We are grateful for the many offers of help we have received, and after much insistence, we have decided to accept support. If you are able, we would be deeply grateful for any contribution you can make to help alleviate the financial burden Kathleen and Jon are facing on top of grappling with the profound tragedy of losing their only child.

We understand that not everyone may be in a position to contribute financially, and we want to emphasize that your love, support, and continued prayers mean more to us than anything. We are grateful to have such a loving and supportive community behind us during this trying time.

Thank you for standing with us, and most of all, for remembering and loving our sweet Ikaika.

With heartfelt gratitude and love,

Malia Poai

(Ikaika's Auntie)

P.S. Though I am listed as the organizer and funds will be collected by me (Kathleen's sister), I will be transferring all collected gifts to Kathleen and Jon on a regular basis in an effort to alleviate the stress of managing this GoFundMe campaign.