Support for the Family of James Rooney After Tragic Loss

Hello to all.

I’d like to say thank you for taking the time to read this— it’s taken me 3 days to put pen to paper.

Never in my life did I think for a minute that I would be asking for help.

However, I’m in a desperate situation and can barely let the words roll off my lips.

Sunday morning April 13th, 2025, turned into a mother's worst nightmare for me.

I realized there was a heavy stillness in the house. You could hear a pin drop. As I headed upstairs I thought to myself “jeez I don’t hear James in the backyard.” At that moment a crushing weight came over me. At that instant, fear took over. I sat on the edge of my bed and asked God to give me strength. I stood up and said aloud, "Fear not Linda, the Lord is with you." I then headed down the hall to James' room. After tapping on his door a couple of times I entered, only to find the most horrific sight a mother could see. My son was dead. Nobody should pass the way I found him. Thank goodness my grandson was home. I screamed for him and he came upstairs and began administering CPR to save his uncle. I know he will also be traumatized for life.

Right up to this moment, I think what bothers me the most, is how I found him. Being the kind, caring, helpful, soul that he was and how I found him was the opposite of just that. It pained my heart knowing all the good he had done for others, and this is how he passed.

I lost my oldest son Michael, James' brother, on April 2nd, 2024. As the one-year anniversary approached, a dark cloud was over the house. You could feel the weight of depression and despair creeping in. James' eyes were screaming with grief.

It was truly pitiful to see James like that. No mother should have to bury a child, let alone two, just a year apart from each other.

Losing my husband two years earlier left me to fly solo. God has blessed me with being surrounded by wonderful people within my community. I have been faced with unimaginable trials over the years, however, I will never get over this for as long as I live, I am smothered with grief and can barely breathe.

Being very sick for the last 6 months myself, I begged Jesus to let me live because I knew my work wasn’t finished here. Many years ago, I had a charismatic friend. When James was 3 years old, she told me that he would be the one out of my children to bring me a cup of tea when I was sick. She was right and he did so much more.

James was left disabled in 2007 from a gunshot wound straight through the frontal lobe of his brain and left for dead. He survived but never received justice for that horrific event. After 13 years of fighting with social security, I was finally able to get him disability pay. The amount was insulting and he was left with nothing up until the day he passed on April 13th, 2025 just 3 days after his 52nd birthday.

My grandchildren, who I adopted, suggested creating a Go Fund Me account. They said it is okay to ask for help.

A flash came through my head and the realization of burying two sons in one year has become frightening and overwhelming. I'm now asking myself "How will I do this?" while being riddled with grief. My three grandchildren, James' sister, and I, want James to lay beside his brother and grandparents in Massachusetts.

Any donation would be greatly appreciated and prayers are welcome to help sustain this family.