Help Eric Rebuild After Awen's Passing

We are reaching out with heavy hearts to ask for your support during this incredibly challenging time for our family. Our beloved stepmother, Awen, passed away peacefully after a long battle with multiple debilitating medical conditions, just two days before Christmas. Her loss leaves an irreplaceable void in our lives, and especially in the life of our father, Eric. We are raising funds to help cover the overwhelming financial burden of medical expenses, end-of-life costs, and loss of income to support Eric as he navigates his life to come through this devastating personal loss.

When Papa proposed to Awen, he designed for them special wedding bands inspired by Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” (a favorite painting of theirs). Awen’s ring fits exactly inside our father’s ring, because he told her that his love would surround, support, and protect her for the rest of her days. And he kept that promise.

Awen and Papa dedicated their lives to educating, inspiring, and assisting countless students and others in achieving their dreams. They taught together, wrote books together, and edited and contributed to others’ work together. Awen always had serious medical conditions, but in 2012, a devastating fall left her disabled. The fall complicated and exacerbated her chronic conditions, and she acquired an incurable surgical site infection. The combination set off a chain reaction of worsening health-related maladies that affected the rest of Awen’s life. She lived every day with cancer-level pain, horrific neuropathy, and relentless medical challenges that made even the simplest tasks difficult and others impossible.

Moreover, the physical toll of Awen’s deteriorating condition was matched by increasing, and eventually insurmountable, financial and social challenges. The continuing medical bills, equipment costs, and other expenses eventually drained our parents’ savings and retirement accounts and left them with nearly $30,000 of debt related to Awen’s conditions. And as her conditions worsened, our parents’ world grew increasingly isolated, cutting them off from friends, family, and their communities.

But despite these relentless challenges, our father and Awen remained strong, inseparable, and deeply in love. Amazingly, Awen was and continued to be a spirited, intelligent, optimistic, and kind soul right to the end. Her determination, curiosity, insight, humor, and unwavering commitment to excellence remained vibrant even in the darkest of times.

And through it all, our father was Awen’s unwavering caregiver and source of strength. He saw her through her many medical crises and took on all the tasks of caring for her and for daily living, twenty-four hours a day, every day. And by doing so he made it possible for Awen to realize her dreams, reach her potential, and achieve remarkable accomplishments. Their love and devotion to each other was obvious, profound, and inspiring to everyone who encountered them.

Why We Need Your Help:

Eric now faces the heartbreaking task of moving forward without his beloved Awen. Rebuilding his life will require time, resources, and a network of support. With the loss of Awen’s income and Social Security, our father will take a significant loss in monthly income and is at a severe disadvantage with outstanding medical costs. We want to honor Awen’s memory, our father, and their relationship by helping him to begin the painful process of healing, paying bills, and settling expenses.

For over two decades, our Papa has been a consummate caretaker, often sacrificing his own aspirations, health, and well-being for the person he loved so dearly. We would love if you would help us support him as he begins to rebuild his life. The funds raised will go toward:

- End-of-Life and Medical Expenses: Your gifts will help Eric settle debts accumulated through Awen’s medical expenses and care, meet his current financial obligations, and help with making funeral or memorial arrangements for Awen.

- Support for Eric Going Forward: Through the above, your gift will help Eric to have the resources to rebuild his life after this profound loss.

Your contribution to this GoFundMe, no matter the size, can make a meaningful difference in our father’s life. And we would be so appreciative if you could also share this campaign with your network of friends, co-workers, and family. Every dollar and every share bring us closer to ensuring that our father has the support he so desperately needs to navigate the coming months in this heartbreaking time.

Thank you for standing with our family in love and compassion.