Help Give My Cousin a Proper Funeral

Hi all. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Ashley and this is by far the hardest thing I've ever had to do. On Friday, September 8, 2023, my only cousin, Shaun Norris, passed away unexpectedly in his NJ home. He was 31 years old.

Shaun may have been my cousin, but he was closer to an older brother to me due to our 7-year age difference. He and my older sister Jennifer were only five months apart, and they were the best of friends. He loved animals, especially his dogs at home. He was known to take in stray animals from the street and give them a comfortable home until they could be rehoused. He was an avid fan of music, especially metal and pop. He took me to my first concert when I was 18 and made sure I enjoyed it. He also strongly advocated for the destigmatization of mental illness and was in the process of pursuing psychology as a career.

Shaun was so young and we did not, in our worst nightmares, foresee this happening. As a result, he did not have any life insurance to cover any costs of his funeral or burial expenses. His parents, my aunt and uncle, are devastated as this was their only child. They are both in their 70s, living from paycheck to paycheck on Social Security, and still struggling to pay my aunt's medical bills from her ongoing bout with breast cancer as well as Shaun's past medical bills. This is another stressor on them that they don't need and there aren't any other family to speak of who could help them in this time.

Besides his parents and cousins, Shaun also leaves behind his dogs and a lot of absolutely heartbroken friends. I made this fundraiser because though Shaun had a short life, he made a difference in the lives of people he knew and he deserves to have a proper funeral. Any little amount helps and is greatly appreciated. This is just one less thing for my aunt and uncle to have to endure on top of losing their only son.

Thank you all and please keep us in your thoughts and prayers during this unthinkable time.