A Port Alberni woman has created a GoFundMe page to support her best friend’s children.
Kaththea Snoek has been raising money for Lindsey Macpherson and her four children after the sudden passing of the children's father, Coltyn David, on April 13 at the age of 34.
Macpherson has been balancing raising her children Aaliya, Adalynn, Tahlon, Kaycen now as a single mother while dealing with her own grief.
The children, whose ages range from pre-teen to teen, are involved in a number of physical activities which bring them joy, but due to financial expenses are finding it difficult to stay involved, Snoek said.
This is when she decided to create a GoFundMe page and ask the community for help.
“Coltyn was an all-around good guy. He cared deeply, loved hard, and was an incredible father,” Snoek said.
“The kids are in a lot of sports and it costs a lot of money. Coltyn was always a big believer in keeping them busy and occupied, so he contributed immensely to the cost. Lindsey can’t do it without him,” Snoek said.
Adalynn is involved in cheerleading, dance, and soccer, Tahlon plays soccer and hockey, and Kaycen hopes to play for the hockey academy in the fall when he begins high school at Alberni District Secondary School.
Aaliya has given up competitive dance at Stage West since her father’s death.
“She stopped doing competitive dance because she understands everything's a little harder, but she has now joined the cheerleading team in high school,” Snoek said.
Snoek cares deeply for the family and has known the children since they were born.
“Normalcy is not what it looked like before, but just trying to maintain that same way of living,” she said.
“It costs money to enter these things yearly and monthly. There is also the competition part where they have to travel and need hotels,” she added.
Macpherson shared in an e-mail how vital this support would be for her and her children as they navigate this time of grieving.
“These sports have become more than just hobbies for my kids. They are sources of confidence, discipline, and joy. My greatest concern is ensuring they continue to have access to these opportunities that have meant so much to them,” wrote Macpherson.
The community recently came together to help the family build a fence that David was working on before he died.
“All Coltyn could talk about was the fence he was working on and it wasn’t feasible to continue living without a fence in the yard, so the community came together,” Snoek said.
“We had a big barbecue and a bunch of people came and we got the fence put up in a day.”
Snoek hopes to raise $10,000.
