Dear Friends,

If you have ever loved someone with mental illness, you understand not only the pain of watching them suffer, but also the financial ruin mental illness can bring to those who are involved.

My niece, Ashleigh Grace Sanders, was a true light in this world. At 19 years old, she was suddenly struck by mental illness. Though she fought valiantly for the past 14 years, her life was tragically cut short on February 2, 2022.

My sister, Beth, and brother-in-law, Gene, were devoted to Ashleigh, and to helping find the best treatments to enable her to live her best possible life in the midst of an unrelenting and cruel illness. They sacrificed all that they had to do so, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on hospitalizations, in-patient treatment, medication, and therapy for their daughter, all within a mental health system which is desperately broken and in need of reform. The problems of Severe and Persistent Mental Illness are complicated and intractable.

As Beth and Gene fought for Ashleigh, they also invested untold hours serving as leaders in NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) and in ministry at their local church. They have taken action to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness, and have advocated for better mental health care. Through it all, their passion has been to come alongside and support fellow sojourners on the difficult road of mental illness.

The grief that Beth and Gene are experiencing is beyond what pen can tell. Ashleigh's life was not supposed to turn out like this. It was not supposed to end this way. Their only consolation is in knowing that this earth is not our home, and that their beautiful girl is resting in the arms of Jesus for all of eternity. Her mind is no longer tormented, and she is finally at peace. 

They have agreed to allow me to publish this fundraiser. Although there is no way to diminish the tremendous grief and loss that they are experiencing, reducing the financial burden they have incurred will bring tangible relief in the midst of their pain.

Please consider this very real way you can help a family that has been devastated by the horrible disease of mental illness. Thank you, in advance, for your generosity and love for my precious, hurting sister and brother-in-law.

With gratitude,

Tim Davis