A campaign to raise money for the care of Atatiana Jefferson’s two nephews is nearing its goal. Family, friends, and a host of supporters have flooded a GoFundMe.com account that has raised more than $350,000.
Their hope is to hit the $450,000 goal to help pay for a home for the boys and their caretaker after the death of their mother.
Amber Carr, Jefferson’s sister and the mother of Zion, 11, and Zayden, 7, died on Monday, Jan. 30.
Zion made headlines as the sole eyewitness to his aunt’s fatal shooting in October 2019, testifying during the December trial of her killer, former Fort Worth police officer Aaron Dean.
His mother, despite suffering from congestive heart failure, was also at the trial until her health regressed in such a way that she was no longer able to attend the last days of the trial.
Only hospitalization stopped her from being there to witness Dean’s conviction on manslaughter charges. The 33-year-old was told she was ineligible for a much-needed heart transplant before she succumbed to her illness.
After Carr’s transition her children were left in the care of her sister, Ashley Carr. The funds being raised in the crowdfunding effort are to secure a new home for her two sons and their new guardian.
The post says all of the funds gathered during the fundraiser would “go directly to Ashley Carr (Auntie to Zion & Zayden as well as the executor of the estates of Atatiana Jefferson, Yolanda Carr [mom] and Amber Carr [sister]).”
Zion and Zayden are gearing up to not only move in with their aunt Ashley but change cities. Ashley’s current apartment in Houston is too small to accommodate them all, but with the monies raised, according to Lee Merritt, the estate’s attorney, the family will be able to purchase a house for them to all live in Dallas.
The money will also help Ashley adopt the two boys. These concerns are not just a worry of the adults in the boys’ lives, but also for Zion, who is…
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