First, I want to say thank you. Thank you to our friends, to our family and to all our supporters. Your unconditional love and support over the last five years has cast light upon our darkest days. Our hearts have been warmed by your prayers and your messages. Many of the messages we’ve received over the years are from beautiful individuals who want to donate or get involved. This website was built for you and to help answer those questions. In addition, it’s a place to announce our upcoming events – like the Duncan McRae Memorial Tournament happening Friday, August 23 - and galleries to showcase past events – like our most recent work with the Springbank PeeWee teams to support the Calgary Food Bank.

The other reason I created this site was to provide a resource for other parents and loved ones dealing with grief after trauma. Showing up for life after trauma isn’t easy. You don’t get a free pass from life’s difficulties after going through tribulation. First, you have to learn to live with trauma and second, you must try to cope with grief. After the loss of my parents and my son, I found myself searching the internet for victims of murder to understand life after enduring such a loss and whether life was even possible. The pain was so great, I truly thought it would kill me and I longed to know if you could survive with a broken heart.

Garland was convicted in February 2017 and sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 75 years for the gruesome murders of my son and my parents. Garland appealed his sentence and arguments were made this past May. Sitting through the appeal trial felt like a bad joke. Having to rehear the horrific details caused trauma to again rear its ugly head. Sometimes I wake up and the first image in my head is the worst thing anyone could ever imagine. The path after extreme trauma is one of the most difficult a human being will ever endure. For over five years my family and I have been forced to walk that path.

“Every act of evil unleashes a million acts of kindness”. In honor of our beloved child, we are committed to making a positive difference in the world, just like Nathan did. The Nathan O’Brien Children’s Foundation has been a light through the darkness for us. The Foundation was the best gift we could have ever received, because it will forever keep our son’s memory and spirit alive. It’s a true privilege to work with our Directors on this Foundation and I’m grateful for the many people who work with us to give back to children less fortunate and make a difference in our community. That’s what this Foundation is all about. With the help of some remarkable people, we’re changing the world for the better.

Nathan was a kind and nurturing little boy who shared the same smile as my grandmother. He was a happy boy who gave kisses to all the babies and loved his family deeply. His precious soul was endeared by all the kids in our cul-de-sac. He was the young boy always dressed in costume who brought our community together. This community remains together to this day because of Nathan - friends who’ve turned into family.

I still cannot fully comprehend what has happened in my life. None of it makes any sense to me. My family was my safety net and the reality that they’re gone often leaves me feeling alone. I mourn them and the future life without them. I long for my Mom and Dad to carry me through the loss of my son. My mom was my best friend and the one person I shared everything with. Not having her here to walk with me through this journey makes it that much more unbearable.

But I will never stop looking up. I know that my Mom, Dad and Nathan are so proud of the Foundation and all the good we have done in their name. The work that we do with the Foundation will always be to honour them.