Trust for Jenn Polak's sons

My name is Jean Polak, and I am the Aunt of Jennifer Polak. I have been asked to share this message on behalf of Jenn’s family - her teenage boys Liam and Brennan, their father Shaun, Jenn’s Mother April, her Father Mike (my brother) and her sister Lindsay.

First, we’d like to extend our deepest gratitude for the outpouring of love and support shared by so many since Jenn’s passing on Saturday March 30th. Knowing she touched so many people in such a positive way has been very helpful as the family deals with the heartbreaking circumstances of her sudden loss.

Like you, our greatest concern is for Jenn’s two incredible young sons Liam and Brennan as they must now navigate life without their loving Mom. She was proud, supportive and their beacon of light. They were her world, and she was theirs.

To help, our family has established a GoFundMe page to hopefully turn the tremendous outpouring of compassion into a tangible legacy of support for these two young men. Jenn’s boys will be the sole beneficiaries of this financial support.

We want to assure anyone who is considering helping in this way that the funds we receive from donations to this site will be held in trust and used only for the benefit of Liam and Brennan.

I am an Ontario lawyer and will be the only person with authority to manage this GoFundMe page, which includes the ability to transfer funds to a designated bank account. The donated money will be transferred to a bank account that is being set up in Jenn’s memory for which Lindsay Lyster (Jenn’s sister) and Shaun Dicks (Liam and Brennan’s father) will be the trustees. All decisions around use of funds shall be made jointly by Lindsay and Shaun and all withdrawals from that bank account will have to be approved by both.

Asking for support like this is difficult, but these are extremely difficult circumstances that could not have been imagined or planned for. Before this Easter weekend, Jenn was a big part of all our lives, with a beautiful soul, caring heart and sense of humour that touched everyone in her life, especially her sons. She lived life with an abundance of love to share. We are devastated that she is now gone and struggle to imagine life without her.

Your words have helped to uplift and sustain us as we face some difficult days ahead. A special thank you to the friends who so quickly started a different GoFundMe page and graciously agreed to step back so we could more formally organize the bank account and trust arrangement described above.

As we look to the future for Liam and Brennan, we greatly appreciate any support you can provide to assist them through this GoFundMe page. Thank you.