I'm writing this for my mom. About 18 months ago, we found out HB had stage 4 cancer overlooked for some time. He was initially taking to remission, but less than 3% of people make it back from as far as he had gotten. This is the second soulmate the universe has taken from my mom, and she is feeling very overwhelmed. She has dedicated the last several years of her life to being his home and his caregiver. HB raised me for the better part of my life. He was a kind man, and never asked for anything in return. He was incredibly family oriented, a lover of pets, and a dad to many that he had love for even if he did not sire them. I would describe him as honest and open, take him as he came. He suffered a double shoulder replacement, which made it hard to provide when I was transitioning towards college, but that never stopped him from insisting on helping me where he could. Benevolent. He never hesitated to help me with strange projects, late night school runs, or getting some place in a pinch. For my mom, he brought light into her life when she was going through domestic violence. He had helped her out of depression, and would bring her her coffee every morning in her cup because it was better when he made it. He supported every out of the box idea; whether that be for the garden, the pets, or the home. He was the Gomez to her Morticia in many more ways than one.

As many of you know, it's really hard to save for life events like this when you are stuck in the lower sphere of the economic system. All of their money went to medical expenses and necessities to keep HB as comfortable and happy as he could be. I am currently working as a lab assistant while I go to school, and have helped where I can through their journey. The best I could do is turn to the community that HB loved and helped throughout his life. I know my mom is just aiming for something simple and reasonable, but I know HB deserves the best we can to honor his memory. It's been a long journey to get here.