Support for the Neter Family

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Amidst the pandemic, our cousins Olivia, Cassandra, and Thomas are suffering through an unforeseeable event — losing their mother Halina this past Sunday, June 7 while still grieving their father’s death. Their parents were both taken by cancer, leaving the three of them behind.

Their father Kaz died in 2013 and while rebuilding their lives, Halina was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive form of bile duct cancer this past March. Doctors told her the cancer was untreatable due its location and that she had less than a year to live. Weeks passed and that window rapidly grew shorter when she was admitted into the hospital for the second time, being told she now had six months instead.

They remained hopeful due to her unwavering strength, eager to plan out a final trip at the end of summer. It was a tradition they carried on each year since they were kids and continued to do since losing their father.

To try to make their mom smile and see everyone she hadn’t been able to throughout the pandemic, they planned a drive-by parade for her this past Saturday. But just a few days before the event, that was cancelled when she took a turn for the worse and Halina was rushed to the hospital again. 

Previously, due to the pandemic, they were only allowed to visit their mom under special permission, seldom being able to spend time with her. However, as her health deteriorated, doctors authorized them to be by her side during her remaining hours.

After four emotionally draining days, on the night of June 7, she took her final breaths with the three of them around her. 

Halina served as a nurse for decades and was known by everyone as a happy and generous soul. Even during widowhood, as she carried the gravity of her husband’s passing and strived to provide for her kids, she was always willing to provide comfort and support to those who needed it. 

Although Halina’s suffering is over, her children now embark on a difficult journey of navigating this world on their own without parents. They won’t be there to see them graduate, marry, have kids or comfort them through the difficult parts of life that every child — no matter how old — need their mother and father for. 

As this was an unexpected death, they are also left with funeral and other related costs while still having to finish paying for their studies. They are unable to meet these heavy expenses as students and recent graduates, especially during the pandemic and as they mourn their mother. 

After everything they’ve been through, this family continues to handle life’s tragedies with perseverance and grace. If you know any of them, you know how hardworking and kind they all are. None of them deserve more heartache, stress, and suffering. 

If you are able to, please donate any amount to help Olivia, Cassandra, and Thomas. Let’s really show them that they are not alone in this world and do what we can to take care of them — just like their parents would have done for everybody else. 

Please help get the word out and feel free to share this link through Facebook, email or any other forum.

The Neter family in San Francisco.


Kaz's last birthday in 2013. 

Halina and Kaz on their wedding day in 1988. 

Thomas (Tomek) at his high school graduation.

Us cousins trying to fit on one couch with Halina and Kaz.

The Neter family and one of their many funny poses!