Steve & Koula Relief Fund

On February 21, 2019, our family suffered a terrible tragedy.  Those of you in or around New York may have seen the story on the news or heard it from someone you know.  Due to a carbon monoxide leak into their house, my in-laws suffered the unthinkable.  Steve, my father in law, passed away at the age of 55 years young while Kyriaki (better known as Koula), my mother in law, almost suffered the same fate.  She was treated for carbon monoxide poisoning and after two days in the hospital was released into the care of her family. 

This could have been even worse.  Had she not had the willpower to call my house so that my wife could rush over there to save her life, our kids would have grown up without their Yiayia as well as their Grandpa.  She had to fight through the impossible to crawl all the way to their front door to unlock it for Alexandra to get in. I am still in awe that this woman just refused to give in, refused to let go and just did what was necessary to see her kids and grandkids again.  Hers is a tale of survival that our family will never forget.  We are all thankful that Koula is here with us today but incredibly saddened that Steve will never walk through the door again.

Steve was an incredible guy, just ask any of his friends.  If there was something you needed, he was there before you could even finish asking for the favor.  That was the common theme in talking to all the people who knew him at his wake.  He was there for you no matter what, no matter when, and no matter the cost to him.  That’s just who he was, always putting others before him.  For those of you who have never met Steve, I hope you get a good idea of who he was, what he stood for, and how we will always remember him.  Unfortunately he left us way too suddenly and too soon and there was no life insurance policy.  In his spirit of giving, we are asking that the kindness he paid upon all those that he met may also be returned in kind.   

Koula worked for the NYC Board of Education for 23 years and retired early so that she could help my family with child care while both me and my wife were at work.  Much like Steve, she also put the needs of others before her own.  She recently took a part time job to help out with the bills. Koula now has to deal with a life without him and regrettably, that life includes the expenses of the funeral, the mortgage, household bills, and other costs that need to be covered.   There is long unknown road ahead and her life will never be the same, but together we can make it a little bit more manageable.

These are the times when we need to come together and take care of each other.  Now it is Koula’s time to be taken care of and we are eternally grateful for the support that she has already received from family and friends.  Please spread word of Koula and Steve’s story and donate if you can.    Anything that you could do is greatly appreciated and I thank you in advance.  On a final note, please, for your own safety and piece of mind, check to see that you have working carbon monoxide detectors in your home because you never know how much your life could change in an instant.  Don’t take our experience for granted… Stay safe and kiss your loved ones tonight.