For Our Dads
Donation protected
The past four years for our dads have been filled with unprecedented challenge and tragedy. First, our father severely injured his back due to 14 years of wear and tear rowing a gondola. This rendered him incapable of working and ended his career. Unable to collect disability for 15 months, he and Javier were vaulted into impoverished circumstances. Once his social security was approved for early release, he and Javier lived more modestly than most on an extremely fixed budget, with little room for anything beyond paying their bills, yet their devotion never faltered.
In the summer of 2017 Javier was diagnosed with kidney failure. This meant Dialysis 3 times a week at 4 a.m. due to the availability in their Dialysis Centre. 3 times a week, our dads would go to the centre from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. for Javier’s treatment, yet they remained steadfast and strong together.
In late 2018, Javier suffered a stroke that left him comatose after 3 brain surgeries. Through these years and during Javi’s courageous and miraculous return to us over his 63 days in the hospital, our dad, Bill Garbett, never left his side, never faltered in his devotion to his husband of almost 3 decades. Javier was discharged from the hospital on January 1, 2019 and our father became his only caregiver. On Tuesday, January 22, just 3 weeks out of the hospital, Javier suffered a major seizure and our father took him back to the emergency room, where he had to spend the night and most of the next day. When Javier and our dad returned home on the evening of January 23rd both were worn out, raw and exhausted. The next morning, our beloved father checked on Javier, collapsed at his bedside and died.
Death has been the only force strong enough to separate Bill and Javier in 28 years. We are starting this Go Fund Me to help ease some of the financial burden of our father’s memorial, as well as give some security to our stepdad, Javier, who will need to be moved to a full care facility. Despite our incredible friends and family, the Las Vegas Baha’i Community, as well as Ron Decar and the amazing team at the Ron Decar Events Centre, we need help, especially for our dearest Javier, the love of our father’s life.
We are turning to all of you, who knew and loved our dad as a friend, a confidant, a performer, a mentor, a brother, a leader and as the guy everyone wanted to be around, to help us in this most tragic time. We are grateful for the life of our father and wish only to ease a fraction of his loss for our stepdad, Javier.
Sincerely,
Anisa and Damien
In the summer of 2017 Javier was diagnosed with kidney failure. This meant Dialysis 3 times a week at 4 a.m. due to the availability in their Dialysis Centre. 3 times a week, our dads would go to the centre from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. for Javier’s treatment, yet they remained steadfast and strong together.
In late 2018, Javier suffered a stroke that left him comatose after 3 brain surgeries. Through these years and during Javi’s courageous and miraculous return to us over his 63 days in the hospital, our dad, Bill Garbett, never left his side, never faltered in his devotion to his husband of almost 3 decades. Javier was discharged from the hospital on January 1, 2019 and our father became his only caregiver. On Tuesday, January 22, just 3 weeks out of the hospital, Javier suffered a major seizure and our father took him back to the emergency room, where he had to spend the night and most of the next day. When Javier and our dad returned home on the evening of January 23rd both were worn out, raw and exhausted. The next morning, our beloved father checked on Javier, collapsed at his bedside and died.
Death has been the only force strong enough to separate Bill and Javier in 28 years. We are starting this Go Fund Me to help ease some of the financial burden of our father’s memorial, as well as give some security to our stepdad, Javier, who will need to be moved to a full care facility. Despite our incredible friends and family, the Las Vegas Baha’i Community, as well as Ron Decar and the amazing team at the Ron Decar Events Centre, we need help, especially for our dearest Javier, the love of our father’s life.
We are turning to all of you, who knew and loved our dad as a friend, a confidant, a performer, a mentor, a brother, a leader and as the guy everyone wanted to be around, to help us in this most tragic time. We are grateful for the life of our father and wish only to ease a fraction of his loss for our stepdad, Javier.
Sincerely,
Anisa and Damien
Organizer and beneficiary
Anisa Garbett Cameron
Organizer
Las Vegas, NV
Charles Bertolami
Beneficiary