My Father's Obituary (Or Lack Thereof)

     For months I've tried to keep this blog up and running consistently, but as my father's primary caregiver and university student, things got a bit overwhelming, to put it lightly. 

     Since my last entry in this blog however, despite my deep intent to document his valiant fight against ALS, my dear father's battle ended peacefully when he passed away on February 6th, 2012 of respiratory failure –a complication of ALS.  The deafening silence of the machines that once were keeping him alive and the gaping hole left where his presence once was leaves me heart broken.  At the same time however, I'm relieved that he is not suffering and in a better place than here.

     Dad died in my arms, his last breath– fleeting before my very eyes. I will retroactively write about the progressions leading up to his passing and the great void that remains in the wake of his passing, once I muster up the strength to regain my center balance.

     Dad wasn't covered by life insurance. The benefits of having had an active policy would have aided us tremendously  for final expenses– I may write about in some other post.  We were, however, fortunate enough to have family members and some friends contribute for the funeral and some outstanding medical expenses.

A Proper Obituary

     When we die, we all want to be remembered fondly, I would dare to imagine.  To have an obituary published however, was a shocking and disheartening process, I found out.  It is so expensive, so impossible to summarize in one sentence, someone as complex as my father.  A one-liner simply could not suffice to describe the very special person that Dad was, and his contributions toward humanitarian causes such as coming to the aid of catastrophe survivors in Latin America with the help of an American Airlines nonprofit he helped found, helping to inspire youth to use their time creatively by dj'ing music and the random acts of kindness he exemplified in his own generosity of giving towards everyday people.
      There's an old saying that rings true to me, which says that "it is more expensive to die than to live".  I'm beginning to believe it because a decent size obituary that I wrote (decent size for me being a writer that is) leaves me  at just around $1500 dollars and so that is my end goal and the purpose of what these funds will be used for.  I simply can't pay for this outright myself right now and so every little bit helps.
     I don't want my father to remain in the ground without a proper obituary.  What child would let this go unchallenged? 

     Your help is greatly appreciated. 

Please, make your donation right now:

Your donation is desperately needed, is greatly appreciated and will help honor a wonderful man who fought hard against ALS. Each donation will be thanked and acknowledged personally.  You will be blessed for your act of giving.