Hello, my name is Mariela, also known as Min. I come to you all with a heavy heart. My grandfather, who was very dear to me and my family, passed away on Tuesday, January 20th. We had a flight planned to visit my family in Oaxaca, Mexico, but it was delayed until later in the day, and unfortunately we did not make it in time to see him one last time.

He was very ill, and we did everything we could to provide him with the care he needed, but sadly he was unable to hold on any longer. We saved as much as we could to be able to visit our family, and during this difficult time we are still struggling. We hope that, even with a little bit of help, we can offer some comfort and support to the rest of our family as they navigate this loss.

My grandpa was a young 88 his birthday is on February 5th, and he would have been 89. He spent 65 years married to my grandmother, and they shared nearly their entire lives together. They kept their culture alive by making fresh bread in a clay oven my grandfather built with his own hands. They roasted their own cocoa beans to make traditional Oaxacan chocolate, taking great pride in creating everything from scratch.

They are loved and cherished by everyone in their pueblo. They are kind souls who have always cared for those in need, to them everyone is family. They taught us to take pride in our culture, to be proud of who we are and who we have become.

There is so much love for my grandfather, and our family has given everything they have to care for him and to lay him to rest, regardless of the financial burden. We are hoping to help ease that burden by contributing toward the expenses during this incredibly difficult time.

Thank you so much for your kindness, support, and help.

The Santiago Family ❤️