Support Gary Yerian's Family
THANK YOU TO ALL WHO LOVE AND SUPPORT GARY, DIANE, AND THEIR FAMILY!
UPDATE 8/28/20: Gary passed away peacefully last night at 8:36pm. His wife, Tiff’s mom Diane and his son Shawn were able to say goodbye in person and the rest of the family did so over FaceTime from outside from the ICU. For his family, the experience of not being with him all week in person while he was on life support was torture to say the least. Allison says, "We are so grateful to all the care nurse Brian and Alex gave to all of us and Gary in his final hours. Hug your loved ones if you can, pick up that phone to tell them you love them, and let the petty stuff go... you never know what the next day will bring. We all miss him so much already!"
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On Saturday, August 22, Gary Yerian - beloved father, husband, stepfather, grandpa, and friend - suffered a massive stroke on the left side of his brain resulting in a basal ganglia hemorrhage. He has been on life support, without any family physically present because of hospital rules during the pandemic, since then. His family have been saying goodbye over FaceTime and the telephone and they must have faith that even if Gary can't hear them now, he knows how deeply he is loved. The family are in urgent need of our financial support as Diane and their kids are facing mounting medical bills and eventual funeral costs from this tragedy.
Helping Gary is really just payback, because Gary would do anything to help anyone in need - even a stranger. His adoring wife Diane says that just last week he gave his last $5 to another man who needed money to visit grandchildren.
Gary has always been a devoted and loving dad to his two boys, wanting nothing more than the best for them. His huge heart extends to his step-kids, his in-laws, and grandchildren. He loved to watch granddaughter GG play lacrosse, and GG says, "My best memory with Grandpa was playing Yahtzee with him. He was ALWAYS laughing, even when he lost! Nothing ever slowed him down, he was always energetic and ready to play with me and Ellie no matter how tired he was. He is the type of grandpa that could make everyone happier just by being around them."
Tiffany says that Gary never judged her, even when others did, and that he was like a father to her. Allison and Tiff fondly recall, "Gary has always been our favorite 'Uber' driver... no matter what time we needed him, he was there to pick us up!"
A die-hard Cleveland Browns fan, Gary eventually adapted to life in Atlanta and became a Falcons fan, too. He always hoped they might get him the joy of a Super Bowl win, if the Browns couldn't!
In the cover picture you can see Gary with Diane, his wife and best friend in the world, with their sweet fur baby, Chloe.
This loving man shined light and happiness on all who knew him. Diane and his family need us now to shine some light on them, by giving whatever we can to cover medical and funeral expenses. No amount is too little to help. And be sure to leave a comment about your favorite memory of Gary - comments are open to anyone, even if you can't make a contribution at this time.
*A note about funding: I am a friend of the family organizing this to help while Gary's wife and kids deal with the immediate medical and logistical issues they are managing. I will personally deliver all funds to Gary's family directly to defray their expenses.