My name is Esther Martens, I’m a friend of Ryan/Lily Smith Mullen, who died in the spring of this year, 2025.

When Ryan passed away, their parents, Jenn and Ed, didn’t know just how steep the costs of the loss of their only child would be. In the middle of this crisis that no parent should ever have to experience, they had to navigate legal and bureaucratic battles, and plan a funeral. Neither Jenn nor Ed were able to take much time off of work in the wake of their loss due to limited benefits.

They have already had to foot thousands of dollars of costs associated with the bureaucracy of death, and it’s unclear exactly how high this number will climb when all is said and done.

This world can be cruel, and no family should have to be stretched to the brink financially when experiencing a loss of this magnitude.

Our goal to help Jenn and Ed out is set at $10,000, which will defray but not completely cover the costs associated with Ryan’s passing, organizing their funeral, as well as an upcoming memorial service on the 11th of October.

Jenn and Ed plan to donate any funds in excess of their costs to Trans Lifeline, an organization working to reduce deaths of trans people to suicide. https://translifeline.org/about/

Every donation helps and is deeply appreciated, as is every share on social media. Please consider posting a link to this campaign on your page.

https://obits.crabiel.com/lillian-ryan-smith-mullen?fbclid=IwY2xjawMAQwtleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHghixR9H9LJtwan_tSjEk0ovdeWPvl9bqtyqatnMiRZw_fz9op-fyxztL8Qz_aem_afKIhVcE2uj-GpD9GCSL0A