Support for Jintana and Narin ❤️

I’m creating this GoFundMe page for Jintana MacDonald and Narin Phanthakhot. Narin and I became friends over 20 years and we’ve become brothers during this time. I cannot thank his mom Jintana enough for deciding to bring Narin to the United States in 1997. This lifelong friendship wouldn’t have happened without her, or without her husband of nearly 30 years- John MacDonald. John and Jintana met many years ago, in the early 90’s: he took Narin in as his own son, and they eventually made their way to Windsor, Vermont. They have lived in this small town for 20+ years, supporting each other as a small family of 3.


Unfortunately, on April 12, 2019, Narin and Jintana suffered a loss that no one should have to experience: the man that Jintana fell in love with, and that Narin came to know as his father, passed away unexpectedly. Losing a loved one is never easy at any point in time, but it’s especially difficult when it’s sudden and not expected. Narin and Jintana have done their best to stay strong, but they are struggling with the sudden loss of such an incredible man. John was extremely kind, humble, smart, thoughtful, giving, protective of his family, and so much more. He took care of his small family in so many ways, and it cannot be overstated just how big of a loss this is for Narin and Jintana.



To that end, Narin and Jintana need all of the love and support they can get. They also need help: however, they are not the type of people to ask for help, so I’m reaching out on their behalf. Jintana is the type that always helps others and asks for absolutely nothing in return. She worked, while growing up in Thailand, to support her family- she needed to work to put food on the table, and for her family to have a roof over their head. When she gave birth to Narin she used to bring him to work, as she had to make money and it wasn’t always possible to afford a babysitter. To this day she sends money back to Thailand, so she can keep supporting her family. Jintana’s work ethic clearly impacted Narin, as he saw his Mom working so hard to support him and others- he is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever met, and he has become an amazing chef (though he’s humble, so he won’t say that).



With John’s sudden loss, Narin and Jintana are facing the reality that it’s costly to have services for a loved one. They are also facing the reality that Narin will have to take extended time off from work: as his Mom takes time to grieve, Narin will be solely responsible for taking care of John’s affairs. He also has to be thoughtful in regards to his mom’s long term plans - she has never lived alone, so Narin has a lot to consider in a short period of time. This is not a burden on Narin personally, as he is simply doing for his Mom what she has done for so many others. This will, however, be a financial burden for the both of them. Therefore, I’ve created this goal with services for John in mind, as well as for Narin taking time off from work. This goal is just a minimum- I’d love to raise so much more!


Given how hard Jintana and Narin both work, and how selfless they both are, I’m really hoping that they know there are so many people that support them. If you have the financial means to donate, it will be greatly appreciated. If you are not able to donate at this time, then it would be greatly appreciated if you shared this page- with friends, family, on Facebook and other social media, and anywhere else you can think of. With all of their family in Thailand, it’s important for Narin and Jintana to know that they have so much love and support right now- and going forward. Thank you for so much, Narin and Jintana greatly appreciate any and all help ❤️