My older brother, who I cherished and grew up with was killed in a car accident, leaving my nephew in desperate need of support. 

We are reaching out to you with full hearts on behalf of my nephew Gareth , a young boy, only 12 years old, whose world has been forever changed by the sudden loss of my brother, Justin. This wasn’t just a tragic loss of his career taker—it was the loss of the person who was his financial, emotional, and physical support.

With a Father, unable to work and a mother who has never been a part of his life, Justin stood in the gap, the one who quietly carried the weight, and the one Gareth depended on for stability, love, and direction.

Justin’s passing came without warning—no long illness. No preparation. No time to plan for what would happen to the family that relied on him. Justin was not only a beloved brother and friend; he was the caregiver, the provider, and in all ways, the anchor of Gareth’s life. When bills needed to be paid, when rides were needed, when decisions had to be made, Justin stepped in. When Gareth needed reassurance, Justin was there—with a joke, with a hug, with a calm, “I’ve got you, buddy.”

Now Gareth is standing in the middle of a storm no child should have to face—trying to understand why his uncle is gone, while the adults around him are scrambling to hold everything together. In this moment of profound loss, what Gareth needs most is security: the assurance that his future is not slipping away along with the person who helped hold it up.

This GoFundMe is for Gareth. It is for his tomorrow, his stability, and his chance at opportunities that, without community support, simply would not exist.

Primary Goals for Gareth’s Future

Our intention with this fundraiser is not only to help in the immediate aftermath of Justin’s passing, but to intentionally build a financial foundation for Gareth that he would not have any other way. Your support will directly contribute to:

• Immediate stability and basic needs: Covering essential living expenses so Gareth can remain in a safe, consistent environment—keeping the lights on, the fridge full, and a stable home around him while the family navigates this transition.

• Ongoing care and daily life: Ensuring Gareth has what he needs for school, clothing, meals, transportation, and activities that keep his life as normal and hopeful as possible—because childhood shouldn’t be paused by grief or financial strain.

• Emotional and mental health support: Providing access to grief counseling and therapeutic resources so he has tools to process this loss in a healthy way, with trusted professionals alongside his family.

• Education and opportunity fund: Establishing savings dedicated to Gareth’s future education and development—tutoring, training, trade school, college, or other growth opportunities that he may choose as he gets older. This is a way to extend Justin’s protective love forward in time.

• Long-term financial foundation: Creating a structured, responsible financial cushion (such as a custodial account or trust, managed by the adults caring for him) that will be there for Gareth as he grows—something he can lean on when he reaches key milestones in life. This is not “extra.” For Gareth, this is life-changing. It is support he simply would not have access to without the kindness of others stepping in where Justin no longer can.

Every contribution is a direct investment in Gareth’s future. This is how we collectively say to him: your story is not defined by what you’ve lost, but by how many people are willing to stand beside you now.

Justin was the kind of man who showed up. He didn’t just talk about taking care of family; he lived it. He was imperfect in the most human way, but he was present, loyal, and generous. He gave his time. He gave his effort. He gave Gareth the feeling of being chosen and protected. With his sudden passing, there is a painful space where his support used to be—and that space is exactly where this GoFundMe is meant to step in.

If you are able to give, please know your support is not abstract. It is groceries on the table. It is rent paid on time. It is a school year that doesn’t start with anxiety. It is therapy sessions that help a young boy find words for heartbreak. It is a future college class, a certification, or a dream he gets to chase because someone believed in him now, when it mattered most.

If you are unable to donate, sharing Gareth’s story is an act of kindness with real impact. You can help bring this need to the people who can give, and that alone is a powerful gift.

We also ask, if you knew Justin or are moved by this story, to send your prayers, kind words, and memories. Those messages will be shared with Gareth as reminders that his uncle’s life mattered, that his love reached far, and that he is surrounded by a community that refuses to let him walk this road alone.

For Gareth, this fundraiser is more than a response to tragedy. It is a promise. A promise that, despite the sudden loss of the man who cared for him, he will not be left behind. A promise that his future is still worth building. A promise that love—shared, extended, and lived out through generosity—can step in where life has been unbearably unfair.

On behalf of Gareth and the family, thank you for reading, for caring, for giving, and for helping us create the kind of future for him that Justin would have fought for with everything he had.