Brian McKinney Family Fund
Donation protected
My name is Cathy McKinney. The unexpected passing of my son Brian has been very hard on our family. He left behind a wife, Maria, and two small children, Gavin, who is 13, and Meadow, who is 8. They were his world! He was a good husband and amazing father. Please watch the video above.
I started this GoFundMe to help support Maria and the children as they grieve the untimely and tragic loss of their husband and father. Brian was the family’s main provider and unfortunately didn’t qualify for life insurance. Maria, an Emergency Room nurse of 10 years, has not worked since his passing as she heals from grief and trauma. This families life has been flipped upside down over night. They have been displaced from their home, their schools and their community. We hope that as a community we can help support her financial security as Maria and the children stand back on their feet and find a path to a new home and new life on their own.
Maria wrote a note:
Dearest Bri,
You left me and our children on a cold day in February. I came home and you were just gone. Everything that happened after is a blur. Like a cloud, a bad dream. Chaotic. Traumatic. This wasn’t suppose to be our story. We were supposed to be old and die together. That was our plan.
We met when we were young. For 19 years we played, learned ,and grew together. You were energy. Your spirit was so bright. You taught me everything. You taught me how to live, how to love, how to forgive, how to try. You made me a wife, a mother, your partner and your best friend. You loved me. I loved you. I always will.
That morning our world shattered. Like a light switch, it was dark. Just that fast. We left our home and our lives behind that day. The children never got to see their rooms again. Swiftly. We lost everything that day. We lost our provider and our protector. We lost our home, our security, We lost our lives as they had been.
I can’t work in my profession right now. I was a really good Emergency Room nurse. My job is triggering. I’m in treatment for my mental health. It’s hard down here without you sweetheart. We are staying with Nana. It’s crazy how fast life can change. It’s crazy that this is our life now. Without so much. Without you.
I packed up our home. It broke my heart. A reminder of a life once lived. Everything we ever had is in a storage unit. I just try to do one thing at a time. I hold our children. A boy who lost his best friend and a little girl who lost the most important man in her life. They are so beautiful. I see you in their eyes.
Through this unbelievably difficult time I have learned that I need help. I need all the help I can get and people show up. People show up to comfort us, to care for us, to feed us. They pray for us and I’m so grateful. I’m so grateful for the messages and for the hugs. I’m so grateful for love, understanding and support. Grief is like a club and now I’m part of it. Now I understand.
I love you sweetheart. You were my favorite! The love of my life! You showed me true love, one full of adventures and laughs. Thank you for being my ultimate teacher. You taught me the greatest love and the greatest loss. Now you teach me how to navigate life’s journey on my own. Without my soulmate. Don’t worry. I will take good care of the children. I love you and I will miss you forever.
❤️Maria
All monetary gifts will be used for immediate and future expenses by Maria and the children. Your gift will also help establish a different life in a new home, and to create financial stability for the children who have experienced such a tragic loss. The goal is to get this family back into their own home. A place and time to grieve, grow, love and ultimately thrive. Thank you friends, family, coworkers , and community for your prayers and support. Thank you for taking this fundraiser into consideration. What you contribute will help this family tremendously as they begin again alone. Thank you. We are so grateful. Please even if you are unable to give a gift please consider sharing their story. Thank you
I started this GoFundMe to help support Maria and the children as they grieve the untimely and tragic loss of their husband and father. Brian was the family’s main provider and unfortunately didn’t qualify for life insurance. Maria, an Emergency Room nurse of 10 years, has not worked since his passing as she heals from grief and trauma. This families life has been flipped upside down over night. They have been displaced from their home, their schools and their community. We hope that as a community we can help support her financial security as Maria and the children stand back on their feet and find a path to a new home and new life on their own.
Maria wrote a note:
Dearest Bri,
You left me and our children on a cold day in February. I came home and you were just gone. Everything that happened after is a blur. Like a cloud, a bad dream. Chaotic. Traumatic. This wasn’t suppose to be our story. We were supposed to be old and die together. That was our plan.
We met when we were young. For 19 years we played, learned ,and grew together. You were energy. Your spirit was so bright. You taught me everything. You taught me how to live, how to love, how to forgive, how to try. You made me a wife, a mother, your partner and your best friend. You loved me. I loved you. I always will.
That morning our world shattered. Like a light switch, it was dark. Just that fast. We left our home and our lives behind that day. The children never got to see their rooms again. Swiftly. We lost everything that day. We lost our provider and our protector. We lost our home, our security, We lost our lives as they had been.
I can’t work in my profession right now. I was a really good Emergency Room nurse. My job is triggering. I’m in treatment for my mental health. It’s hard down here without you sweetheart. We are staying with Nana. It’s crazy how fast life can change. It’s crazy that this is our life now. Without so much. Without you.
I packed up our home. It broke my heart. A reminder of a life once lived. Everything we ever had is in a storage unit. I just try to do one thing at a time. I hold our children. A boy who lost his best friend and a little girl who lost the most important man in her life. They are so beautiful. I see you in their eyes.
Through this unbelievably difficult time I have learned that I need help. I need all the help I can get and people show up. People show up to comfort us, to care for us, to feed us. They pray for us and I’m so grateful. I’m so grateful for the messages and for the hugs. I’m so grateful for love, understanding and support. Grief is like a club and now I’m part of it. Now I understand.
I love you sweetheart. You were my favorite! The love of my life! You showed me true love, one full of adventures and laughs. Thank you for being my ultimate teacher. You taught me the greatest love and the greatest loss. Now you teach me how to navigate life’s journey on my own. Without my soulmate. Don’t worry. I will take good care of the children. I love you and I will miss you forever.
❤️Maria
All monetary gifts will be used for immediate and future expenses by Maria and the children. Your gift will also help establish a different life in a new home, and to create financial stability for the children who have experienced such a tragic loss. The goal is to get this family back into their own home. A place and time to grieve, grow, love and ultimately thrive. Thank you friends, family, coworkers , and community for your prayers and support. Thank you for taking this fundraiser into consideration. What you contribute will help this family tremendously as they begin again alone. Thank you. We are so grateful. Please even if you are unable to give a gift please consider sharing their story. Thank you
Organizer and beneficiary
Cathy McKinney
Organizer
Gallup, NM
Maria McKinney
Beneficiary