Ernesto, lovingly known as Neto, was my brother. He was a loving father, a devoted son, and a man who lived every day for his family. He worked hard to provide for the people he loved, carrying his responsibilities with quiet strength and deep love. His life was tragically taken when he was struck by a vehicle on Hook Boulevard in Victorville while walking home from work. What should have been an ordinary walk home became the moment our lives were forever shattered.

Everything Neto did was for his family. Every long day, every sacrifice, every dollar he saved was driven by love. He held onto one promise with all his heart to be there for his son in Mexico at his graduation. That promise meant everything to him. It came from a father’s deep love, his sacrifices, and his hope to one day witness the future he was working so hard to provide.

Although Neto was a U.S. citizen, his heart and home were with his family in Mexico. When life became overwhelming, he made the painful and lonely decision to return to the United States alone so he could work and support them from afar. Being separated from the people he loved most caused him great pain, but he endured it with faith and the belief that this separation was only temporary—that one day they would all be together again. Tragically, that day never came.

Now, my parents, Carmen and Tonio, are living every parent’s worst nightmare having to lay their child to rest. No parent should ever have to bury their son. The grief they carry is unbearable. The silence left behind by Neto’s absence is overwhelming, and alongside this unimaginable pain, they are faced with unexpected funeral expenses and immediate costs that only deepen their heartbreak.

Any support, no matter the amount, helps lift even the smallest part of this heavy burden. Your generosity allows my parents to grieve, to pray, and to hold each other through their tears, instead of worrying about how they will say goodbye to their son with the dignity and love he deserves.

Nothing can ever bring my brother back. No words can make this loss make sense. But your kindness, prayers, and compassion remind my mother, Carmen, my father, Antonio, and our entire family that we are not alone in this darkness. From the depths of our broken hearts, thank you for standing with us, for helping carry this pain, and for surrounding our family with love during the hardest moment of our lives. May God bless you for your compassion and for being a light when everything feels so dark.

Perdimos a Ernesto, conocido con cariño como Neto, demasiado pronto. Fue mi hermano, un hijo amoroso, un padre dedicado y un hombre que vivió cada día sacrificándose por su familia. Su vida fue arrebatada de forma trágica mientras regresaba a casa del trabajo, dejando un vacío imposible de describir en nuestros corazones.

Hoy, mis padres, Carmen y Tonio, están viviendo el dolor más grande que puede existir: despedirse de su hijo. Como familia, no existen palabras para describir este sufrimiento. Entre el dolor, las lágrimas y el silencio que dejó Neto, también enfrentan gastos funerarios inesperados que hacen este momento aún más difícil.

No importa la cantidad que pueda dar, cada donación es un acto de amor que ayuda a aliviar un poco esta carga tan pesada. Su apoyo nos permite enfocarnos en llorar juntos, orar y abrazarnos, en lugar de preocuparnos por cómo despedir a mi hermano con la dignidad que merece.

Nada puede devolvernos a Neto, pero su bondad nos recuerda que no estamos solos en este dolor tan profundo. Gracias por ayudar a sostener a mi mamá, Carmen, a mi papá, Tonio, y a nuestra familia en el momento más oscuro de nuestras vidas. Que Dios los bendiga por su compasión y su gran corazón.