In mid February this year, we unexpectedly lost one of the good ones, TJ Trine. Let me tell you about TJ. TJ was a friend of mine. Maybe you were lucky enough to call him a friend too .TJ was incredibly smart, talented, artistic, creative, funny, he was caring, sincere and a good friend. He liked making music, drawing, skateboarding, storytelling. TJ was also considered chronically unhoused, he would sometimes stay outside,sometimes he'd couch surf at friends, sometimes I was the friend who's couch or floor he'd surf. He had experienced several roadblocks and losses in his short life, and yet in all the years I knew him, I remember more than anything that he had a positive energy that seemed to shine thru the darkest of times. Over the last several months TJ was stricken with some severe health issues, pneumonia, a blood clot, sepsis and other infections. We nearly lost him in November 2025 to pneumonia, he spent maybe a month or more in the hospital fighting to survive.

In early January 2026, TJ unexpectedly showed up on my porch, hospital bags full of any of his possessions and discharge paperwork in hand. He was already small framed but he had lost a lot of weight, face thin, He was still weak and struggling just to breathe, even though he had been given the "ok"'from the hospital to be discharged. Far too sick still to survive the January cold, I said "Welcome back" to TJ .

We set forth the next day to address his health, inc following up with specialists that were listed on the discharge info from his hospital visit, and recovery related goals /plans.

The following weeks were filled with highs and lows. Drs appointments. Recovery related appointments. Encouraging TJ to eat, he was starting to gain some weight back, get plenty of rest, take his meds, follow up with drs, caseworkers. On good days, we'd get a couple of priority things done, eat a good meal, TJ would spend hours drawing, making signs, listening to music, playing games,we'd swap stories about the past and set future goals/plans. TJ would help with food/supplies distro, brainstorm program ideas, merch design ideas. And we'd laugh so much, joking, around my diner booth, my housemates, TJ, and I. And most nights TJ and I would end up staying up too late,whether he wanted to or if he was just being polite, he'd sit up listening to my "back in my day" stories, he'd tell his back in his day stories, good and bad, about recovery, relapses, wins, losses, regrets, hopes. On bad days, he'd be in obvious pain, curled up on the couch, not able to keep food in him, his breathing weak, if he did sleep, I'd sit there and listen to his labored breathing/snore and be relieved when I heard each inhale/exhale. In those few weeks, I know for a fact TJ was NOT using his drug of choice for at least 10 or more days in a row. At a time that he was in terrible pain, struggling for each breath.

Throughout it all, he was sweet, caring, TJ . I had hope. I think he did too, or he hid just how weak he was. As far as I was concerned I had already decided I was "adopting" TJ and if he wanted he could call my place his "forever home" I didn't know, idk if he knew it or not, forever wasn't much more time.

I don't know all the info about what all happened in the span of his last few days-week. He was having some rough days. He was having pains esp in his chest, his breathing was often labored or shallow. He ended up back in the hospital. I was told he left against medical advice. He didn't make it home. I checked with friends, the hospitals, jails. No TJ. In the span of a few hours he went from joking and laughing, to being rushed to the ER, to seemingly ok enough to get up and leave the hospital, to I don't know.

A few days went by before I was contacted by a friend who was on the lookout. TJ was at the hospital and apparently had been but was readmitted as a John Doe. When I had tried to locate him I hadn't asked about any John Does recently admitted. I was told he had had a cardiac arrest, life saving measures were attempted, but too much time had gone by. He was being kept comfortable , awaiting hospice care and in the process of finding next of kin..His parents are both deceased. TJ has 4 older half siblings, but there is a significant age range between him and his siblings, they were raised separately and they had not been in contact in years.

On Feb 22nd, just a couple of days before his birthday, we lost TJ.

I have been in contact with TJs eldest sibling, who was in her early 20s when TJ was born..This is not the family reunion TJs siblings had expected, and they are not in a position financially to cover the final expenses of a long lost sibling. We are almost out of time for someone to take responsibility of arrangements and to "claim" TJ. If no one is able to cover the costs he will have a state funded cremation, none of his loved ones or family will get his ashes. "Unclaimed" people go in essentially a "paupers grave"

I asked his sister if I could help and try to raise some funds for cremation. It breaks my heart to think of one of my favorite homies who was loved by so many, who had such a big heart, to end up in Potters Field... She spoke with her other siblings,and to the local medical examiner, we are being allowed a short extension to attempt to raise funds for TJs final expenses, which based on what info the medical examiner told me, the low end price thru the state averages around $1000. I'd like to raise at least a little bit more than just the cost of cremation, in hopes to have some extra available to have a small memorial , and a proper vessel for him.

Thanks to all that read this far. TJ really was a wonderful person, and I always believed that he would get past all the struggles and be able to do all the awesome things I know he could do. He did lots of awesome things already and I'm so happy I was so lucky to have him as a friend, I wish he had been given more time... I know lots of people loved him. He was more than just a guy flying a sign, asking for change. More than an addiction. More than an illness. More than his trauma. He was TJ. He was my friend. Maybe you were lucky enough to say he was your friend too, if not, I wish he had been given more time here and you could have met him.