Please Help My Cousins

Co-organized

Isabella Laflam and Martha Bucholtz are organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Cherie Stubbe.

Donation protected

Updated**

My name is Isabella Laflam. I am making this GoFundMe for my Cousins, Brennan Speak (17), who was diagnosed with autism as a young child, and William Speak (15), as they lost their father, Jimmy Limb, on September 1st, 2021, to COVID-19. My family is devastated and hurting over this unforeseen tragedy. More devastatingly, William (15) is currently COVID positive and fighting for his health at this very moment. He has recently received the monoclonal infusion and has had to receive extra treatment for dehydration, all while dealing with the loss of his father. My aunt, Cherie Speak, has raised these boys all their lives by herself as Jimmy decided he did not want to be a part of their lives. The only support their father has ever contributed was child support, which will now end, not even contributing to Brennan’s necessary medical expenses for his Autism (such as medications, doctor’s appointments, hospital stays, and his service training/service dog, Leah). Brennan will likely never be able to live on his own, meaning my aunt will continuously have to take care of his needs for as long as she lives. Their paternal family has been absent as well throughout their lives, save for their Aunt Shannon, who reached out years later having been unaware the boys even existed until then. My cousins have long held onto hope that they may one day be a part of their father’s life. But now that Jimmy has passed, both Brennan and William are devastated to know they have lost their father, as well as any chance to have a relationship with him and possibly even their two half brothers, James (5) and Brooks (3), of whom my cousins have not yet been able to meet. With the funeral coming up this Friday, September 10th, 2021, Brennan and William were hurt even more by the fact that they were never mentioned in the obituary (sited here) https://naplesnews.com/obituaries/ndn021879 , as it cited only the two youngest sons. They have been left to feel as if, to their father and his family, neither of them exist. In turn this also leaves them wondering if they would even be welcome at their father’s funeral. This leaves my cousins with nothing of their father, and no way to rightfully mourn over his loss. My aunt is heartbroken that her sons not only were left with an absentee father, but are now being forced into the shadows, unable to mourn as well as have a single piece of their father. She is looking to seek legal council in order to portray the truth as well as give my cousin’s a voice in the matter of their father’s loss. Unfortunately this would be financially devastating as she would likely have to sell their house, which she had only just been able to buy and make home, in order to afford these costs. Because Brennan and William will no longer receive child support my aunt will struggle further to support her two eldest children, along with her two younger children. That is why I hope to raise $125,000 for my family. This amount will at least allow my aunt to seek legal council in order to fight for Brennan and William as well as support them, Brennan for his entire life, and take care of the medical expenses inflicted due to William being COVID positive. Please help me help my family. They deserve better after remaining quietly out of Jimmy’s life and now after losing him to the same virus that is plaguing William. Any donations will of course help tremendously, but I would also like to ask that whoever is reading this please share their story. They need as much support as possible during these trying times. Please know that my aunt is devastated for her sons and is too humble to ever ask for help. I heard the pain in her voice as she told me of the tragic news and I knew that she needed as much help as possible to support Brennan and Will. That is why I decided to make this GoFundMe, so that I may help them in the only way I know how. Thank you.