Support Brett Aten's family through navigating his loss

If you are reading this, you were brought here by love. A love so expansive, that you feel it in the deep parts of your soul. A love that you have for Brett Aten II. My name is Jodi Maitland, I am Amanda's sister, and Brett's sister too (he yelled at me any time I would say "in-law", correcting me to make sure I knew I was more to him than that). I have decided to start this Go Fund Me to raise money to support the amazing immediate family that grieves his loss with every fiber of their being. If you knew Brett personally, you knew that were not his friend, you were more important than that too, you were his family.

Brett was the kindest, funniest, most generous man I have ever had the honor of knowing. After battling for years with chronic health issues, unexplained seizures, and countless hospitalizations, he passed unexpectedly earlier this week and it has devastated everyone that knew him.

He was only 40, so young, but so wise. One of the smartest men I have known, we used to call him the human calculator. If you ever needed anything, the shirt off his back would be yours. At the drop of a hat, he'd be there. He was generous even in death, being an organ donor; he was able to gift a second chance to several others in need. He loved to laugh, tell corny dad jokes, love on his family and friends, play and watch hockey and football, and he love loved loved music and cars. He was a son, a husband, a father, a brother-both blood and not, an uncle, and a new grandpa to a baby girl he never got to meet. But he was also more than that, he was a shining light for everyone he met, and the world is a little darker right now while we figure out what this new normal means to us.

If you can find it in your heart to donate to this cause, please know the Aten family (immediate and extended) will be forever grateful for your generosity. If you can't right now, please share this link to spread the word. The money raised from your donations will go directly to his widow, the love of his life and undeniable soul mate Amanda, who he was inseparable from for 25 years. It will be used to help cover the costs of his celebration of life, planned for sometime in the first 2 weeks of June (details to follow for all who are interested in attending, the date on this fundraiser says June 14th, please note that is not the actual date, we do not have a solid one set in stone yet), his cremation costs and final expenses and to ensure his family on the east coast can travel back to CO for his celebration of life as well. It will also be used by Amanda to support her through this time in her daily needs (groceries, gas, monthly bills and other day to day items) while she navigates this immensely turbulent process of grieving the love of her life. She is unemployed right now, being a full time care taker for Brett before his passing and therefore has no work paid benefits such as PTO or anything to rely on to allow her the time and space she needs, and deserves, to grieve.

Thank you for your generous consideration, and the time you took to make it this far down the page. Thank you for sharing the link, and thank you helping us keep his memory burning bright.