Danny Jones

Winter has endured unimaginable loss — and now she is fighting to recover the last remaining pieces of her family, her heritage, and her history. Winter is a first-generation American, the daughter of immigrants from Beirut, Lebanon and County Mayo, Ireland. Her parents built a life through relentless work, and when they passed, Winter was left as their only surviving child and sole keeper of her family's history. In 2012, Winter and her father were in the middle of moving back to Los Angeles when her father was violently assaulted. In shock, with their belongings already in transit, Winter made an emergency decision to place everything into a storage unit at Trojan Storage in Rancho Cucamonga so she could remain by her father's side. Seven days later, her father passed away. Reassured that the unit was secure, Winter placed the last remaining pieces of her life into that unit and walked away with only the clothes she was wearing, her father's dog, and a hospital plant. That unit became the only place holding what was left of Winter's family: Her parents' cremated remains Family photographs and videos Birth and immigration records Journals, letters, and heirlooms Original archives from the earliest days of Canyon News and San Francisco News Winter is deaf and nonverbal, and since 2018 she has been homebound due to severe illness. Despite this, she continued paying for the unit every single month — 149 payments over more than 12 years, totaling over $55,000 — because it contained everything she had left of her family. Her office remained in regular contact with the facility's management throughout this time. In August 2025, Trojan Storage auctioned off Winter's unit without warning, despite having a valid credit card and contact information on file. The company later claimed a computer system change disrupted her auto-pay without authorization. Everything was taken — including her parents' ashes. Winter has no photos of her mother, only the above photo of her father, and no surviving immediate family. Her rescue dog, Koda, is her only family. Why Winter Needs Help Now For years, Winter used her personal savings to survive a severe, life-threatening illness while unable to work. From 2018 through 2024, she was largely bedridden, in and out of hospitals, and undergoing extensive medical care without income. In 2025, after beginning a new medical treatment, Winter finally started to regain strength and mobility — a turning point she had fought years to reach. By October, she was back on her feet with assistance and no longer classified as end-stage. The morning after what should have been one of her most hopeful days of rehabilitation, Winter learned that her storage unit had been auctioned and her parents' remains lost. Devastated, she halted her medical treatment and redirected what remained of her funds toward emergency recovery efforts — legal consultations, investigative work, and accessibility assistance. Winter has no current income and no medical insurance, and her remaining savings have been depleted by years of medical care and emergency recovery efforts. Why We Are Asking for Help Time is critical. Every day reduces the chance of recovering anything. Funds raised will be used to: Retain legal counsel Cover private investigative efforts (already underway) Attempt recovery of cremated remains, photographs, and vital records Resume critical medical treatment paused due to this crisis Support advocacy efforts to help prevent similar wrongful storage auctions from happening to others Winter does not want revenge. She wants her parents' remains, her family photos, and the memories that were taken from her — so she can finally lay them to rest in peace. Please consider donating or sharing. Even the smallest contribution helps. ❤️ Thank you for standing with Winter. Frequently Asked Questions Was Winter behind on payments? No. Winter paid faithfully for over 12 years. The account was on auto-pay, and the facility had a valid credit card and contact information on file. Why was her family property in storage so long? The unit began as an emergency during her father's assault. After he passed away, Winter was shattered — he was her last immediate family and closest support. Later, severe illness left her physically unable to access the unit, but she continued paying to protect what remained of her family. The rent increased every year, and she believed that because it was not inexpensive, the unit remained secure. The facility's management repeatedly reassured her it was safe and closely monitored. If it was so important, why didn't she keep it elsewhere? Winter had no roots in America beyond her parents, and the unit became the safest place she had to keep anything meaningful or irreplaceable. With frequent people coming and going from her home and after experiencing a theft, she believed the storage facility offered greater security. Where will donations go? Funds will be used for immediate legal and investigative costs, recovery efforts for cremated remains and family records, and resuming essential medical treatment. How can I help if I can't donate? Sharing this fundraiser increases awareness and improves the chances of recovering lost items. It also helps bring attention to an issue that affects others in similar situations.