James Perez and Darri Ann Maline

This campaign is on behalf of James Perez and Darri Ann Maline, to help them financially through these trying times.  James’ daughter Elli Grace Perez, 11, died in a tragic fire and we are asking assistance to help James, Darri Ann and their daughter Kenzi with all costs associated with this tragic loss.  When this campaign was first opened, we as a family had little information about funeral costs and it was set up with the description to help with funeral costs but also stated we didn’t want James to ‘worry about the finances.’ We do not know the full costs yet, but had to update the description (see statement below from Adam Perez).

James has not worked since this happened and we will not know when he will go back.  Darri Ann was off for over a week and works hourly.   They look to lose thousands of dollars in income because of this tragedy.  They have a mortgage, utilities, two car payments and grocery bills.  They have another daughter to care for and these are stresses they do not need to have at this time.  GoFundMe has stated that we need to itimize each detail.  There will be funeral costs, such as the headstone, the police escort and other state fees.  There was also travel costs associated with this horrible circumstance. 

James, Darri, Kenzi and the family are mourning the loss of a precious life taken too soon. This tragic loss has hit this family in such a way that there will need to be a long road of healing and we don't want to worry about the finances.

Please show your support for the Perez family during this time of hardship and your donations are appreciated.

Below is a statement from Adam Perez, James’s older brother:

First and foremost, we as a family want to extend our thank you the community for supporting us during this difficult time. We want to thank all the donors that have contributed during this difficult time. We want to thank our friends, family and even strangers for their love and support. Your support has been a light in these dark and sad times. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts.

My cousin Tara started this GoFundMe account to help James in his time of need. It was started because we did not know the costs associated with this tragic accident. I believe that everyone that donated did so understanding this would be used for all financial costs associated with the loss of Elli Perez. But, as you know in life there is always someone that shows how ugly humanity can be. Someone, who believed to have inside information about funeral costs, reported this GoFundMe account as a fraudulent campaign. They reported that James had not yet or will pay any funeral cost. From what I can comprehend, this person believes that he is using this fund for financial gain.  It sickens me to my core to believe there is a person or persons that would honestly believe this and even more so they would take the steps to actually report this to GoFundMe. 

I am writing this statement to tell you that all the money in the world would not ease my brother’s pain. But I also know that my brother has enough to deal with and should not have to stress about finances. I can tell you my brother has not worked since this has happened and I’m not sure when he will go back. Those are all tied into the financial burden that my brother and family are dealing with due to this horrific situation. I believe each one of you understood that when making such a thoughtful donation to my brother and family.

GoFundMe has claimed to be a neutral site, but has placed the burden of proof on my family that this campaign is not a fraud.  They have chosen to take the word of a person that has a personal vendetta with a father that just lost his 11-year-old daughter. GoFundMe has questioned the legitimacy of this campaign due to wording in the initial description. Funeral expenses have not been what we expected due to the generosity of the funeral home and community. In no way shape or form is my family trying to benefit financially because of the death of my sweet niece Elli.  GoFundMe has asked us to produce receipts, which we do not currently have and has chosen to freeze the funds until we produce them. It has been a nightmare working with this company and is a stress that my family should not be going through during this time.

I tried to keep this information from James, because he has enough to deal with. He has now found out and therefore I have decided to make this statement.  We have updated the description of the campaign to state the financial burdens associated with losing a child.  If anyone that has donated feel that we have mislead you in your donation, you are more than willing to ask GoFundMe for a refund.  

Thank you all again for your love and support. 

Respectfully,
Adam Perez