Remembering 9-year-old Zina

On Easter Sunday, while so many of us shared joyous times with our loved ones, a family of four in Springfield, Oregon was devastated by a horrific tragedy, when a mother took the life of her young daughter before turning the gun on herself.

Kristin Bennett lost her battle with mental illness when she made this unfathomable choice, ending the life of 9-year-old Zina, leaving her 16-year-old son without his sister and mother, and leaving her husband to pick up the pieces of the life he and his son once knew.

All funds will go towards end-of-life expenses for 9-year-old Zina, a joyful and bright little girl who loved playing Roblox, art, being in nature, all animals (especially cats), loved to swing, and loved her family. Zina also loved axolotls (the stuffed animals shown in her arms in the photo), and she loved making YouTube videos.

Any funds in excess of these expenses will go towards the father and son’s recovery incl. counseling and grief support while they afford life expenses, bills, food, mortgage; the list goes on. If you are able to, please consider contributing and sharing this GoFundMe on Facebook, Instagram, anywhere you think there may be people able to contribute, to help this father and son heal and to surround this them with love and support in their darkest hour.

My name is Sage and I am authoring this on behalf of the father who requests anonymity. Kristin was a friend of my best friend (who coauthored this narrative), and whom I had met multiple times through the years, but did not know well. Regardless, this tragedy has cast a dark cloud of pain and confusion above me and so many others who know this happened, and I just hope to help this father and son by creating a platform in the “digital age” in the hopes that folks who have even a small amount of money can contribute to helping this father and son.