Hi, my name is Mikaela Hawkins, and I am raising funds for my dad's funeral and burial expenses.

 

He passed away on Sunday, 7/3, after sustaining a traumatic head bleed from a fall on Friday evening. He was on life support with limited brain activity until his death. He had been dealing with Congestive Heart Failure and Atrial Fibrillation, among other health issues, for nearly a decade. My dad was on the heart transplant list. 7/7/22 would have been his one-year anniversary of receiving an LVAD (left ventricular assist device).

 

My dad was one of the strongest people I have ever met. He has been through countless surgeries and near-death experiences over the years, and despite all that, he always had a smile on his little face. No matter what kind of pain he was in, you could always count on my dad to be cracking jokes and making sure everyone else was having a good time. He loved the ocean, but he could not go in the water with his LVAD; he always told my mom and me that playing in the waves was the first thing he was going to do once he got his new heart.

 

My dad leaves behind my mom and me, as well as my grandma with dementia, whom we care for. I am a first-generation low-income (FLI) student at Stanford University, studying Theater and Performance Studies. My mom works full-time and is a full-time caregiver for my grandmother with dementia.

 

My dad's death came out of nowhere, and thus my mom and I are scrambling to figure out how we are going to afford all of this. We understand that times are tough, but any amount, big or small, helps. Any funds leftover will go towards sustaining our household without my father's income. If you prefer to use Venmo, my username is @mhawkinzzz

 

A poem from my dad before he passed:

"I go to the waves

Wanting things to finally be quiet

I stare

All that becomes nothing and I am at peace"