Support Gabriela Arias in Her Time of Loss

Hello,

My name is Amy Welsh, and I'm making this GoFundMe with Abel Fernandez on behalf of our best friend Gabriela Arias and her family.

Last night we received word that Gaby's sister, Ariana, passed away in her home country of Ecuador. In her absence, Ariana leaves behind a ten year old daughter, a grieving brother and sister, and a broken hearted mom. Ariana unfortunately battled with certain issues throughout her life, and it seems this time she entered into a fight from which she could not recover. She was only 27 years old. She will be missed.

I cannot say that I knew Ariana well, because I only know her through her sister who resides here in the US. But, I do know Gaby and I would like to take a moment to tell you about her.

The first thing you need to know about my best friend is that she is without a doubt the hardest working person I have ever met, and the second thing you need to know about her is that she is also the most selfless person I know. Gaby works every day to not only pay her own bills, but to support her family in Ecuador as well. I have never seen anyone carry so much. and with as much grace, as this woman and I cannot imagine the pain she is going through right now.

So with that said, I am asking you to help her through this difficult time because no one deserves support more. I am watching my best friend try to handle this while still showing up to work everyday because the bills don't stop for tragedy. But, she deserves to be able to take time off to process this. There will also be a flight to Ecuador, funeral expenses, and of course a little girl who is now without a mother, which will all require funding. Please help those of us who love Gaby help her through this. Anything you can donate will be appreciated.

Gaby told me that it is a small comfort to her that she was able to speak to her sister this week before her passing to tell her that she was important, and loved. All she ever wanted was for her sister to see herself as the beautiful, caring person that others saw her as. She would prefer that we all remember her as a happy kid, with big dreams, who loved the beach, and so I'm going to end this post with pictures from happier times.

Sadly, we will never know why God takes some people down darker paths than others, but we all hope and pray that Ariana will find the light on the other side.