Supporting Danie & Family: Remembering Michelle with Love

Dear cherished community members,

Please help us in supporting our dear Danie as they grieve their beloved sister, Michelle. Michelle has touched so many of our lives in such an incredible way. Her bright light was unmistakable and will shine forever.

Unfortunately, as her passing was unexpected, so is this heavy financial burden that Danie and their family are facing up front. These costs include but are not limited to: last minute Seattle flights and lodging, ubers, meals, crematory fees and memorial services. Danie is in a specifically precarious spot as they’re facing a significant rent increase, putting their Chicago housing at risk. We are estimating at least $10,000 of debt from this.

With permission from the family, I am raising funds to help alleviate this already devastatingly heavy time they are facing. They have enough on their plate to deal with and do not deserve more stress from finances. As Danie mourns both Michelle, and their recently departed grandmother Audrey - and plan both memorials simultaneously - I urge you to contribute what you can.

Danie has been a pillar to their communities in Chicago and Minneapolis as a Somatic Abolitionist and a Social Worker at Firebird Community Arts Chicago. It’s times like this where we must step up and provide for Danie, as they have for us in countless ways. Thank you for your contribution.

Lastly, the family believes it’s worth naming the importance of mental health awareness. To honor Michelle and the incredibly brave battle she fought, we’re encouraging folks to connect with local organizations dedicated to empowering people through their hardships and crises within a deeply broken healthcare system, an extremely inadequate public health infrastructure, and a viciously corrupt law-enforcement complex. Below is a link to a document with such transformational initiatives in the Chicago area that Danie has created and gifted us. Additionally, I've created a similar list for Seattle resources.

Here is the link to Michelle's obituary

-RM