Memorial fund for Sonny Age funeral expenses
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Hi. My name is Ashley. For those that don't know me, Sonny was my cousin but most importantly someone I considered a best friend. I never thought I would be asking for help to pay for his funeral expenses but here we are. I also never thought it would be because Sonny took his own life. Depression is real. It is something he struggled with for so so long and did a pretty good job at hiding it. Suicide is something that you think would NEVER happen to your family. It has now happened to ours.
If you are reading this, you might be like me, struggling with what you could have done and how you could have tried harder. How could you have got Sonny the help he so desperately needed but wasn't willing to admit. You may have watched Sonny go from fun loving to spiraling out of control. As most of you know, 7 years ago when Sonny lost his younger brother Collins to pediatric brain cancer, it crushed him and our whole entire family. I believe that this was a life changing event that Sonny unfortunately was not able to overcome. He called me several times, often times late at night, just to talk about his precious brother and how he ached to see him again. I did everything in my power to try and make him feel better every time he reached out to me. It would break my heart knowing Sonny would sit and watch Collins videos over and over. We all tried so very hard to get Sonny to truly feel how much HE WAS LOVED. I know so many of you have reached out to one of us asking how you can help.
Sonny did not have life insurance. Many of us tried helping while Sonny was here with us and now I feel this is my way of helping him since I wasn't able to do so before. Many of us got mad and frustrated with him time and time again, myself included. Many of us have struggled to understand what we could have done, what could have been different. He left no note. So we don't have it written out in front of us to try to help us fully understand the pain he was in and why he thought this was his only way out. The part that helps to ease the pain is that Sonny is no longer suffering! While this deep hurt will never fully be healed for his parents, siblings and us here on earth, the Son is shining very bright in Heaven. There will forever be a void in our hearts. Oh how our hearts ache right now. We do not need to worry where he is and we need to find peace in knowing Sonny is fully healed and with Collins. I pray that you somehow allow the Lord to give you peace that surpasses all understanding, knowing that this world was not for Sonny any longer and that God needed him in Heaven more than we needed him down here.
There is a verse that was shared with me that I would like to share. It talks about seeing through a glass darkly and not understanding something now. It is 1 Corinthians 13:12
We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!
We do not know why he did it or what Sonny was thinking before he chose to end his life. But one day, we will see him again face to face and we will know.
I can promise you that all money donated will go directly to funeral expenses, and anything left over will go to gas cards and help for his siblings and parents who will be left to heal. When Collins left us, Bend Your Knees was started. That was what kept us all going with that loss. Who knows what hidden blessing will be found in a family who will join the other families in recovering from a loss of a child, and brother, a cousin, a friend, from suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling with pain like Sonny was going through please contact the Suicide Hot Line number at 1-800-273-8255.
I love you Sonny! And I know you knew that. These words that are about to come out of my mouth, I would only say for you... ROLL TIDE!
Ashley Turner (Mullins)
If you are reading this, you might be like me, struggling with what you could have done and how you could have tried harder. How could you have got Sonny the help he so desperately needed but wasn't willing to admit. You may have watched Sonny go from fun loving to spiraling out of control. As most of you know, 7 years ago when Sonny lost his younger brother Collins to pediatric brain cancer, it crushed him and our whole entire family. I believe that this was a life changing event that Sonny unfortunately was not able to overcome. He called me several times, often times late at night, just to talk about his precious brother and how he ached to see him again. I did everything in my power to try and make him feel better every time he reached out to me. It would break my heart knowing Sonny would sit and watch Collins videos over and over. We all tried so very hard to get Sonny to truly feel how much HE WAS LOVED. I know so many of you have reached out to one of us asking how you can help.
Sonny did not have life insurance. Many of us tried helping while Sonny was here with us and now I feel this is my way of helping him since I wasn't able to do so before. Many of us got mad and frustrated with him time and time again, myself included. Many of us have struggled to understand what we could have done, what could have been different. He left no note. So we don't have it written out in front of us to try to help us fully understand the pain he was in and why he thought this was his only way out. The part that helps to ease the pain is that Sonny is no longer suffering! While this deep hurt will never fully be healed for his parents, siblings and us here on earth, the Son is shining very bright in Heaven. There will forever be a void in our hearts. Oh how our hearts ache right now. We do not need to worry where he is and we need to find peace in knowing Sonny is fully healed and with Collins. I pray that you somehow allow the Lord to give you peace that surpasses all understanding, knowing that this world was not for Sonny any longer and that God needed him in Heaven more than we needed him down here.
There is a verse that was shared with me that I would like to share. It talks about seeing through a glass darkly and not understanding something now. It is 1 Corinthians 13:12
We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!
We do not know why he did it or what Sonny was thinking before he chose to end his life. But one day, we will see him again face to face and we will know.
I can promise you that all money donated will go directly to funeral expenses, and anything left over will go to gas cards and help for his siblings and parents who will be left to heal. When Collins left us, Bend Your Knees was started. That was what kept us all going with that loss. Who knows what hidden blessing will be found in a family who will join the other families in recovering from a loss of a child, and brother, a cousin, a friend, from suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling with pain like Sonny was going through please contact the Suicide Hot Line number at 1-800-273-8255.
I love you Sonny! And I know you knew that. These words that are about to come out of my mouth, I would only say for you... ROLL TIDE!
Ashley Turner (Mullins)
Organizer
Ashley Turner
Organizer
Canton, GA
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