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Donnies funeral expenses

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I am a guardian of my older brother Donald, He has traumatic brain injury due to a drug overdose in 1994. He is 63 years old. Donald has had many struggles in life, including losing our father when he was 13, our mother when he was 15 and all three of us, my sister, don and I seeing our brother Jeff die in a car accident ten days before our mother's death in 1972. Our brother Jeff was only 12 years-old.  Don had many struggles besides the loss of our parents and brother. He was also slightly mentally retarded and unable to process the tragedy we as a family experience. Our dads older sister moved in with us and did her best, she was older and not in well health. We were very poor, some family helped. Don dropped out of school at 16, he wondered around finding whatever jobs he could. Alchohol and drugs became a way for him to cope. I grew up, went to college and got married. I never knew where my brother was from time to time as he was a homeless person the majority of his life. In 1994 I got a call from an aunt and Don had been found unconscious. He had taken pills from another aunts house and O.D. on them. He made it through the overdose but suffered a traumatic brain injury. We have been thankful that he was placed in a group home in Fargo, ND. He was taken care of very well, travelled with the group home, even a trip to San Diego Zoo! He has a great smile and told everyone that he liked them, Sir/lady, he would say, I like you!! It is hard not to like Don with his warm big smile and teasing personality. His health declined a few years ago and now this past week I was faced with making the sad choice to place Don in Hospice care.  It will be my older sister and I left in our immediate family when he passes. Due to our own life's struggles, our family is unable to pay the entire cost of his funeral. We do have a small account set up thanks to an aunt who was the guardian of him right after his overdose. That fund has $3600 dollars. I have been told the average funeral costs over 10,000. I am unsure of how we can manage this cost. Sadly I am single and starting over and my sister's husband is disabled from a back injury on his job 15 years ago. We do not plan to have an expensive funeral. The simplist and honorable as possible. Don was loved by many in the rural community we grew up in, working as a hired hand for many farmers and ranchers. He loved animals and working around them and was always ready to lend a helping hand. Many ask about him when I go home. I want to have a small funeral so family and people in our hometown can pay their lasts respects. Your help would and WILL be Greatly appreciated!! God bless, don's baby sister Kathy
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Donations 

  • Randy Wolla
    • $25
    • 7 yrs
  • Connie Breding
    • $25
    • 7 yrs
  • Jennifer Allen
    • $20
    • 7 yrs
  • Jeffrey Jorgenson
    • $100
    • 7 yrs
  • Ron Jorgenson
    • $1,000
    • 7 yrs
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Organizer

Kathy Jorgenson
Organizer
Fargo, ND

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