Support for Ayse and Victor

For those of us who have been in contact with Ayse and Victor you know it has been a handful of years of relentless crisis and tragedy. During the Covid lockdown, Victor lost both his parents to cancer in the span of one year. Shortly after Victor lost his father, Ayse's stepfather was shot by a stray bullet from which he suffered severe injury. Most recently, Ayse lost her mom suddenly. In addition to being an incredibly tight-knit family, Zeynep, Ayse's mom, was a critical part of Ayse and Victor's childcare and support system, as well as she was the sole earner for her household.

Being the grounded people we know, Ayse and Victor have managed to stay strong and resilient in the face of each tragedy. Despite their strength, the compiling crises have all become a lot to navigate and bear. Accompanying each loss and trauma has also come additional financial responsibility requiring resources and strategic planning that take copious energy and time.

Both Ayse and Victor are self-employed, and therefore they don't have the luxury of paid leave, bereavement pay, PTO, etc. I am reaching out to their community with the hope that we can support them with love and resources to provide some much-needed breathing room. They need time to grieve and pause for a moment to strategize the next steps. Any act of kindness, large or small, is appreciated. Thank you for loving and supporting our dear friends. I want to shake the shoulders of reality and say "enough is enough"!