In late July, our family was in a car accident that totaled my mother's vehicle. Everyone walked away, and we thought that would be the hardest thing our summer held.

On August 1^st, my sister Debora suffered an unexpected heart attack. She survived it, but it caused a severe brain injury, and she never fully came back to us. Two weeks later, my brother Michael broke his femur and was flown to Dallas for emergency surgery. The family spent all of August visiting Debora in the ER, the ICU, and finally at the Hospice.

Debora went into hospice, and she passed away peacefully in the early morning of August 28th. She was 28 years old.

Anyone who spent time around Debora knew where she stood. Her faith was the most obvious thing about her, and it held all the way to the end. We are not grieving as people without hope. We know exactly where she is. We just miss her.

What our family needs most right now is prayer. Please pray for my mother, who has lost a daughter and still has a son recovering. Pray for Michael as he heals. Pray for all of us, that we would hold onto the same faith Debora held onto. If prayer is all you have to offer, please know it is not a small thing, and it is not second best. It is what we are asking for first.

Some of you have also asked whether there is a practical way to help, and rather than turn anyone away, we opened this page.

-- Joel M. Loua, on behalf of the Loua family