Support the Nossaman-Pierce Family's Healing

Hello generous Friends, Family and Community,

Thank you for your patience while we found the words to speak again, to express the gratitude that overflows our hearts.

Loss is one of the few certainties we all share in this crazy life, a common thread woven through our human experience. Whether the loss of a loved one, a relationship, a home…whatever we hold dear; we are all vulnerable to the crushing pain that uninvited loss can bring. The greater the love, the greater the pain.

That nightmarish pain found us just before Thanksgiving, when our beloved son and brother, Luke, died suddenly from the interaction of a high-dose OTC cold medicine with a genetic heart condition. He was just 19. Bright, loving, compassionate, accepting, inquisitive, courageous, witty, strong and gentle, wild and fun-loving with a tender heart, deeply connected to the mysteries of the universe and wise beyond his years—Luke was exceptional. He was the light of our lives.

“There are no words,” say friends and loved ones…and this is true. To say that the anguish of losing Lukey shattered our hearts, disintegrated our spirits and brought us to our knees in obliterating grief does not begin to describe our pain. To say we will miss him every second of every day offers but a tiny glimpse of the empty ache that the cavernous hole his physical absence has left in our hearts. How could we ever stand again under the weight of this unbearable pain?

“Even out of unspeakable grief, beautiful things take wing.” – AR Torres

When we lost the strength to stand, you stepped in with incredible grace and generosity to lift us up—with hugs, tears and tenderness to let us know that we are not carrying this pain alone; with generous donations to allow us space from work to breathe and heal; with beautiful messages, cards, flowers, meals and gifts to nurture us; and by sharing golden memories of our sweet Lukey to remind us that he was LOVED by so many and will NEVER be forgotten.

Like some mysterious medicine, your many acts of kindness have coalesced to build a bridge across the chasm of isolation carved by our grief to offer us a way back from despair. Your love is helping us to find our feet. Slowly, we are learning to face this new world without our beautiful boy…learning to walk with this grief…to live with this heartbreak…and to find beauty in the many gifts that Luke graced us with.

Words cannot express the gratitude we feel for each one of you, for how deeply moved and forever changed we are by the depths of your human kindness. Thank you for everything, sweet friends. Most of all, thank you for returning hope to our broken hearts. We have a long and difficult road ahead of us and we feel infinitely blessed to walk this path alongside such compassionate, kindhearted human beings.

In profound love and gratitude - Sarah, Mike & Jake