West’s Last Mile: Help Us Walk It Together!

Everyone has that one truly special person in their life.

The person who comes along just once in an entire lifetime.

The one who, no matter how heavy your life might get, no matter how dark the night might be, finds a way to lift you up, to light up the path ahead.

West was that person for us.

West was hilarious, chaotic, silly, friendly, and the kindest person you could ever meet.

He would surprise you with crazy ideas and things to do, he would serenade you with oldies but goodies R&B music, and turn any stranger that he met along the way into a lifelong friend.

He’d give you his shoulder if you needed to cry, and then he’d try to make you laugh through your tears.

Our father showed up at all events and would be the first one there and the last one to leave.

He was a true family man and an extremely hard worker. As a surgical technician, he helped to save lives while working two additional jobs, all to support his young and growing family.

Our dad was a fighter, he struggled a lot, but he wouldn’t complain. Even when facing the heartbreak of losing many family members and friends, he carried that weight and still made time to crack a joke (even if they didn’t always land).

His mind was always full of dreams and light, reaching beyond what his body could endure. As illness took its toll and left him disabled, West never let it stop him. He kept moving forward with a smile, always leaning on his faith to guide him through the pain. As the son of a bishop, he loved to share the faith through singing and was always proud that he came from a religious background.

He always wanted to be a better man, for his kids, his grandkids, his wife, his friends, and for himself. He adored his children and grandchildren, they were his ultimate pride, and he hoped they would accept and love him even through his faults.

He himself was a kid at heart, always playing games with his grandchildren, singing on karaoke with them or running around even with a bad leg, he just wanted to share in their joy. Even through struggle, he was always the life of the party, the one who kept on dancing, no matter what song was being played.

But suddenly our father was gone…

While in Mississippi with family, West suffered a catastrophic fall that injured both his knees.

The injury led to an infection, and that infection spread like wildfire, quickly turning into sepsis, and sepsis turning into multi-organ failure.

It all happened so fast.

One moment, he was joking and smiling , and then… he was gone. So far from home, far from California, far from his children and grandchildren.

Now we are trying to do what he always used to do, show up when things get hard. We want to bring our father home. We want to bury him with love. We want his youngest son to be able to see him one last time, but we do not have the money, and we are hoping for a true miracle.

My father always said that strangers are just friends we have not met yet. And today, we are hoping some of those friends might help us bring him home.

West was one of those rare souls who made people feel seen, and surely was always seen by them. Now, as we face this, we are reaching out, not just for money, but for kindness, connection, and a shared goodbye.

We are asking for your help to:

•⁠ ⁠⁠Bring West home to California from Mississippi

•⁠ ⁠⁠Cover the costs of his farewell

•⁠ ⁠⁠Celebrate a life full of resilience, laughter, and love

Any amount, no matter how small, helps us carry our dad through the home stretch, one last mile, walked together.

If you can’t give directly, maybe you could share West’s story with your friends, it would mean the world to us.

Thank you so so much for your attention, and for taking a moment out of your busy life to read our story.

Thank you for caring for West, and thank you for helping us to bring this father, this grandfather, this fighter, this light… back home.