Support Alonso's Family in Their Time of Loss

Alonso was the baby and the only boy of our family. He had just celebrated his 35th birthday on September 28. My brother was characteristic, funny, empathetic, resourceful, caring, intelligent, and kind. As a little boy, he made sure to always give us lots of cuddles and tell us how much he loved us. Alonso grew up and suffered from a terrible disease. A disease that doesn’t discriminate, a disease that robs people of their soul. My brother was an addict. For the last 15 years, he struggled with addiction. His disease led him down a terrible dark path that no amount of love and light could pull him out of. I saw how hard he fought his addiction and his demons. I knew how much he wanted to be the person he was before addiction took ahold of him. He suffered a drug overdose earlier this year and was hospitalized for over 2 months. He was left with physical disabilities from the overdose, but he continued to work towards recovery. Unfortunately, the mental, emotional, and physical pain made it harder for him to fight the addiction. He lost his battle on October 23 and we lost our brother, my parents lost their son, my sister-in-law lost her partner, and my nieces lost their father. His passing was so unexpected and devastating; he was doing so well, we all could see his light becoming brighter again. I will never understand addiction completely; the why’s will never be answered. In a way, a lot of us will never understand addiction, and we are lucky to not have to deal with a disease that completely destroys the essence of who you are. We were lucky enough to spend 4 months with him making memories and healing our relationships. I know many of you out there have family and friends dealing with addiction. I send you all my love and support. Loving an addict is not easy, but love is a powerful emotion, and I hope your loved one accepts it and heals so that you never have to feel the excruciating pain of losing them.

Thank you for taking the time to read my brother’s story. All donations will go towards funeral costs and supporting his wife with expenses during this difficult time.