Not your average Joe

On December 5th a State Trooper informed us that our beloved Dad Joe had accidentally overturned his car on a remote forest road outside of Eugene, however he was nowhere to be found. A missing person report was filed and Lane County Sheriff’s Office and their Search & Rescue team worked diligently to try and find him. Unfortunately, after 17 brutal but hopeful days, our Dad was discovered deceased in a remote, hard-to-reach area nearby his car. We believe this was a tragic accident. As you may already know, our Dad battled bipolar disorder for a long time. If bipolar is considered on a scale, he had it very bad. For the last several months but especially the last month and a half he was really struggling. His support system was helping him get scheduled with all of the appropriate providers. Those with loved ones suffering with mental illness know it’s extremely difficult to know how to provide support but our family and Dad believed an admission at a behavioral health facility would have provided the care he needed to get better. Devastatingly, he was denied admission. Still, our Dad was wanting to overcome this latest challenge dealt to him from his bipolar disorder. He had discussed a plan to get healthy with our Brother the day before his disappearance and had fresh, healthy groceries in his car. For those that don’t know- fighting bipolar feels like constantly running into concrete walls. A lot of times, it feels like an unbeatable opponent. It’s a horrible disease that we wouldn’t wish on our worst enemy. We feel so much pain and sadness for our Dad but know that he is freed at last from his bipolar disease. He is finally at peace.
None of us were prepared for such a tragic loss. We have financial needs to ensure we can take proper care of our Dad and his estate. Please don’t feel obligated to donate towards this gofundme but know that your support, no matter the form, is so greatly appreciated. We truly feel blessed to have you all in our lives.

The one thing we ask of everyone: please know that mental illness should be considered like any other disease. It shouldn’t be taboo to speak about mental illness or mental health issues. There are so many people like our Dad who are fighting a constant battle within themselves. As a society, we need to better support those people. NAMI has been and will continue to be a great resource for us. Please, on behalf of Joe, take a look at their website and consider being an advocate for people struggling with their mental health.

https://www.nami.org/Advocacy (https://www.nami.org/Advocacy)

We sincerely thank you for your support.

With love,

Jenna, Jacob & Jordan Bucher