Keeping Hope for Cindy Siennick's Family

I hope that my words find everyone healthy and succeeding through this unprecedented year. It has almost been a full year since the tragic loss of my sister, Cindy Siennick, daughter to my mother, and mother of 6 beautiful children. If you are new to our story, please read below as I have attached the initial story. This year we have faced many hardships from celebrating my sister's birthday, all of the kids birthdays, including the babies 1st birthday in this world, all without her. We have had ups and downs from a broken ankle requiring surgery, many nightmares with sleepless nights and broken hearts, and even COVID-19 affecting us. Despite the hardships that this year has thrown us, this year has also shown us how amazing and loving people truly are. I want to reach out and say thank you to every single individual who has lent out a helping hand to my family. Whether it was hot meals, diapers, formula, financial support, prayers or kind words and sentiments to help the transition into this new life without my sister Cindy. My family and I are profoundly grateful. I want to reach out and inform everyone that despite our ridiculous hardships, the kids, my mother and my brothers are staying strong and resilient. We are finding ways to cope and push through, continuously stepping forward to climb this mountain of hardship and turmoil. We smile and try to make new memories of happiness with my sister Cindy constantly in our minds and our conversations so that the kids will never forget her. We share her beautiful life through our stories, and through our hurting moments when we unbearably miss her. My mother tries to take the kids on little adventures from local state parks, to City Island in Harrisburg where Cindy used to take them. We try to express as much love for them as we can. We try to keep them kind through this cruel undertaking, and to instill hope for the future. Some days are harder than others, but we are here to stay and fight for their future, and so is all of the different communities that have reached out to us to help.

 

Although my family has been strong throughout this, we are coming up short in some avenues. All of the prior help has gone a long way in this severe transition, but we are asking for more help. Despite us surviving, our home is too small for the whole family and we are in dire need of help to get a bigger home, whether it is buying a new home, or building one with the assistance of Habitat for Humanity. Habitat for Humanity consulted us and estimated the cost may be anywhere from $100,000 - $120,000 to build us a home that will be adequate for the family. These numbers sound frightening and incomprehensible for me at this point in my life while I attempt to enter residency in Emergency Medicine, which hopefully will allow me to take care of my family, my community, and eventually give back for everything that everyone has done and given. We had started raising money through fundraisers, baseball tournaments and much more this year. An individual from my Mom's Rotary club recently told my mother "You need ONE very wealthy individual with a very generous heart to make a donation". With the help of others, and myself, we have reached out to different networks like Ellen on The Ellen Show, The Pittsburgh Steelers (my favorite team), The New Orleans Saints (my sister’s favorite team), and many more organizations. Unfortunately, these great organizations have not reached back out to help my family during these tragic times, but it is okay because I stay hopeful.  

 

I am hopeful and I say it is okay not because I don't want their help, but because we have had the most caring people from so many different communities reach out and begin the help. We have had so many individuals who are less than financially wealthy but have the most generous of hearts reach out. Individuals who may not have the greatest means for helping, have given what they could from the richness of their hearts and souls. I know that 2020 has been a difficult and hard year for everyone. People have lost jobs, precious celebrations such as weddings, graduation milestones, and even the bitter sting of lost loved ones. It is during these difficult times that communities need to look out for each other and stick together. I have witnessed this fellowship of love and charity from not only our local community, but many random individuals that have opened their hearts to my sister’s story. I have witnessed the love from people that have shown their heroism in trying to turn our tragedy into a tale of hope and perseverance. Every single individual who has helped my family is a hero in our lives and gives us hope to one day become the heroes in someone else’s story. I please as to help my mother, my brothers and me create a new hopeful life for the kids. Help us reach our goal to build a new hopeful future from our tragic loss. I would really appreciate anyone who is willing to donate or share this. Thank you so much to everyone for everything.

 

I have provided my email, phone number, and Venmo account in case anyone does not want to use GoFundMe, and if anyone wants to personally get in contact with me.

 If you want to be an anonymous donor you can call the Juniata Valley Bank at 1-855-582-5101 and ask to donate to the Siennick Fund as ‘well. I have attached the prior story for a background if this story is new to you. Thank you for taking the time to read and share.

 

Email: [email redacted]

Phone number: 5733378329

Venmo: @Julio-Valencia-Velez

PayPal: [email redacted]

 

 

‘My name is Julio Valencia-Velez. I am the brother of Cindy Siennick, uncle and provider of her 6 children. My sister passed away early in the morning on Friday January 24th. Her life as a young woman, and mother was robbed from her. I think it is important to address the severity of the issue by using strong and appropriate language. She was murdered in a heinous act of domestic violence, in the presence of her children. They witnessed the brutal act, and then tried to save her life by calling 911 and yelling and screaming for help. They stayed by her side in desperation as she slowly passed away. They witnessed her say “she was dying”, “call 911”, and in desperation to stay alive for her children even attempt to tourniquet her wounds. My nephews and nieces witnessed their mothers last breaths in this life. I’m sorry to be so vivid and illustrate such a graphic and heart wrenching picture, but I think it is important to understand the gravity of this entire dilemma.

I would like to share a little about my sister now. My sister helped raise my older brother Jesus, younger brother Donnie, and myself when we were little kids. We, ourselves, were victims of domestic violence growing up and endured years of abuse and witnessed our mother endure it. My sister helped guide us through it and protect us as best as she could. Unfortunately during the years she fell victim to domestic violence herself. With 6 kids it is very difficult and scary to escape. Only those who have lived through it truly understand the horrors it brings. In the last 2 years, my sister committed herself to finding a better life for herself and her kids. She enrolled in an accelerated nursing program, and while maintaining a life for 3 kids, 2 babies, and being pregnant, she juggled all of life and the violence, and was able to graduate Valedictorian of her class. She became a nurse to provide a better life for her and her kids. She decided to work at a rehabilitation center and long term health facility where she had the pleasure of helping countless individuals. She spent some of the last moments of people’s lives holding their hands, crying with them, and laughing with them during their own passing. She is one of the strongest women I have ever met. She had been saving enough money to escape her predicament. Unfortunately life doesn’t always work out the way we wish it did.

I’m starting this GoFundMe so that anyone who is able to help or can help in any minor or convenient way can. I am currently in medical school and am very limited in my ability to help support my family financially with the excruciating cost of school. My sister has been one of my biggest fans of me pursuing my medical degree. I please ask and beg anyone who is able to help in anyway to please donate here so that we may offset some of the costs for the kids. All of the 6 kids have been moved into my mothers home. We are asking for help so that we may buy bunk beds and blankets, new things for their rooms and new home. To offset travel costs and moving costs. For any help to pay for small fixtures in the old house to better provide for our family in this difficult time. I hope to raise around $3000, but if more is possible it would go a long way in this difficult journey. No one could have ever prepared for this kind of predicament and I reach out to anyone who is willing to help our family. Please share with anyone who is willing to listen and able to help. Please reach out to those you may know who are suffering from domestic violence and please help put a stop to the perpetual cycle. I simply ask for any help you can provide our family in these troubled times. Thank you for taking the time read this and share. Please if you are suffering or need help, please reach out to your local abuse network.

My personal contact info is provided if anyone has any questions for me. Please let me remind you that we are all suffering right now and would appreciate some decency throughout this endeavor. Thank you once again. ‘