"IF YOU WANT TO HEAL, GO HELP SOMEONE".
Someone said this to me two days after funeral services for our son. That was not the first time I’d heard that, but it certainly made a bigger impact than ever before.
We lost Justin in 2017 to suicide after a long battle with addiction. Bereaved, we began to seek ways to help others in an effort to hopefully help ourselves as well.
We attended and spoke at different events, and we hosted fundraisers for different charities. Whether it was suicide prevention, or advocating for addiction and mental health, nothing truly felt like the right fit for us to genuinely make a difference.
We were going through the motions, but actually not helping others or ourselves much in the process.
We had lost the most precious person in our lives and grappling to make sense of what we were supposed to do not only survive, but also to thrive after our son’s death.
We didn’t know when we started our little farm that it would actually help us restore hope and reclaim our faith.
We knew something was special when we found our first llama. She was a beautiful 7-year-old, pregnant llama named JUSTINE. We knew then we were on a special path and this was exactly what we were supposed to be doing.
Doing all the things that the farm requires daily, the feeling of Justin’s presence is very strong for us. Each day we find more peace, serenity and well-being. We truly believe animals have a sense of the struggles we all face, and the unconditional love they offer is one of the most healing experiences there is.
Our animals have caught millions of our tears and consoled us on our darkest days. They’ve put genuine smiles on our faces, and it’s our hope they do the same for you.
It is our privilege to share our healing experience with as many people as possible in Justin’s memory.
We hope you will join us to help experience this amazing love.
#JUSTINLIVESON