In Memorium of Hailey Mil

Hello, my name is Sean Philips, or some of you might know me better as Guru in the burning world.

Yesterday, a tragedy that no human should have to endure hit two of our own, Sula Milstead (AKA Songbird) and Chris Ford (AKA Cap'm ButterCup), as their youngest daughter Hailey Mil (they/them pronouns) was taken from them abruptly. Hailey, born Rebekah (but please respect them by referring to them by their chosen name), was a bright light in this world who brought joy to all who knew them. Their family and friends should have been celebrating their 20th birthday come December 9th. Instead, they are all left mourning Hailey's loss a week before then.

On top of the massive pain and suffering they are both dealing with, they are also being hit with the immense financial burden that accompanies such a loss. At the moment, they have to make a lot of decisions based on their ability to pay for them. No family in mourning should be put in that position, but it seems even more unfair when it is placed on two people who have given so much time, love and selfless service to the communities they love. It is time for us, the folks in those communities, to come together and show up for them.

Currently, they have many logistical expenses and the high cost of arranging the services, as well as the added expense of bringing family into town (who could not otherwise afford to be there). There is also the huge impact of lost income, as both will be unavailable to return to work for several weeks. Last, but certainly not least, is the cost of getting them and their other daughter into therapy, so that they can get the help they need to properly mourn this loss.

For now, I am setting the goal at 10k. I doubt that will even begin to cover the family's total expenses, but it seems like a good starting point. I will adjust that goal as they have a better idea of what their needs are.

Can't afford to donate, but want to offer a meal instead? There is a mealtrain set up for that: https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/l60med

Hailey's Obituary: https://www.greencremationtexas.com/obit/rebekah-lauren-milstead/

Wake for Hailey: https://m.facebook.com/events/527393462647790/