Joanna Aull, Looses Partner in a Tragic Crash

Hey Raleigh folks! Let's come together and help Joanna Aull, who is a fellow massage therapist of mine. She and her partner, Lester Alfonso, moved to Raleigh last July. In the short time that I have known her, I have seen her work hard to build her own massage therapy practice and witnessed her enthusiasm for life, even if it meant biking 40 minutes in Raleigh traffic to practice massage. She has recently experienced an unimaginable loss. Please consider helping support her over the next few months. Since their only car was totaled in the crash she has no personal vehicle to get to work. Funds will help cover Uber costs, rent, moving expenses, etc. Joanna doesn't have family in the area, so let's help in an easy, but impactful way! Here is a part of her story taken from an announcement made to her clients:

I’ll start with the wonderful news. As many of you may know me and Lester found out we are pregnant in February. He was over the moon, he was so excited to be a father. We are currently 3 months into growing a little human. A week or so later he gave me the ring he’d been holding onto and asked me to be his wife. He specifically asked me “if I’d like every day to be like today”. He surprised me and that was my only request for his proposal. We were the happiest we’ve ever been and excited for the future we would create together.

There’s a million and one paths life could take but this one was not one I ever anticipated.

On April 3rd, 2023 Lester dropped me off at work. I was going to see him again in a few hours. I did not. Instead after calling countless hospitals and police stations, 2 state troopers rang my doorbell to let me know that my Lester was in a terrible accident and was never gonna come home.

Shortly after he had dropped me off. He had been the victim of a police chase gone wrong. The perpetrator speeding away from the police took a turn too quickly and his car flipped onto the passenger side of my beautiful fiancé's car. The guy walked away without a scratch and Lester Alfonso never even made it to the operating table.

As I write this it’s still hard for me to believe. I think I will be in a state of shock and numbness for quite some time.

I understand this is a lot and I apologize if the details of this are triggering in any way. But this was my reality and I feel it is only right to share what could happen in this life.

Grief is not a comfortable thing. I don’t think we as a society are taught how to face it. Even though we all go through it at one point in our lives. I don’t expect you to address this and I will not feel offense if you do not. I thank you in advance for your condolences.

With all this being said I don’t know where my life will take me next. I just know that the most important thing now is the life and future of my child.

I have decided to leave North Carolina and the practice you have all helped me build by May of this year. I want to thank you all for being so supportive in helping me build my practice so quickly. Everyone I’ve met in Raleigh has truly been so supportive and kind in welcoming me here and I will never forget that. I’m sorry to be saying farewell under such circumstances.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Much love,

Joanna