Skip to main content

Elias Christian Nelson Memorial Fund


Do you have friends with whom you share dozens— maybe even hundreds— of happy memories? Bryant and Cierra Nelson are those friends for my husband, Kevin, and I. Staying up ‘til 1 am playing round after round of Pokemon Monopoly. Splitting a pack of Skittles. Having an Italian sandwich picnic on Thanksgiving Point Gardens while talking about TV shows and house hunting. Racing each other down the slides at Splash Summit. Catching up on life while chasing our kids across the park. Talking about Jesus and how we came to know he really is our Savior.


The harsh reality of life, however, is that mingled with good times are seasons of tragedy and loss. On Tuesday, February 22nd 2022, Bryant and Cierra welcomed their second child, Elias Christian Nelson, into the world. The following evening, he passed away. 


Perhaps you share happy memories of your own with Bryant and Cierra. Maybe you know them only a little, and maybe you’ve never met them at all. Regardless of your connection to my friends, the true measure of friendship and humanity is standing by and supporting one another through both good times and bad. Bryant and Cierra have been there for Kevin and I as we’ve processed our own struggles with unemployment and mental illness. My plea today is that each of us reading this post can rally together to be there for Bryant and Cierra in their struggle. I ask you to offer a prayer, a donation, or both to help Bryant and Cierra (and their families) as they grieve and heal. 


Donations to the Elias Christian Nelson Memorial Fund will go towards the payment of hospital bills and funeral services. Don’t hesitate to donate even if you can only share a few dollars; every penny is appreciated. Donations can be made to Bryant and Cierra’s personal Venmo account, @Cierra-UIRM . If you are asked a verification question, the last four digits of Cierra's phone number are 9381.


If you don’t already have a Venmo account, visit venmo.com for instructions. If you haven’t offered a prayer before and would like to learn how, visit churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/believe/god/how-to-pray . 


Thank you, my friends. May we continually mourn with those that mourn, comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and stand as witnesses of God at all times (Book of Mormon, Mosiah 18:9). May God bless you.


-Mikayla Johnson



Bryant, Cierra, and baby Elias 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Problem with Chick Flicks.

I really, really, really enjoy a select few movies that I willingly watch over and over again. Pride and Prejudice is one of them. You see, Elizabeth's defense of her family, her sense of self respect, her ability to admit that she was wrong and to appreciate Darcy despite all his quirks, and quizzical brow-ness... it's marvelous. My husband doesn't share the sentiment, could you tell? ... and that's okay. There's rare a chick flick I enjoy near as much as I enjoy Pride and Prejudice or A Walk To Remember , and I wanted to explain why. You see, there's more than just a few problems with (many, not all) chick flicks:  (and if you have a chick flick that escapes many of these pitfalls then please oh please leave it's title in the comment section!) The heroine (or suitor) is less than honorable. I have a hard time rooting for a girl to get a gentleman when she's spending her time being scandalously loose with other men ( #thenotebook) . An...
10 comments
Read more

A Year and 10 Days Ago

Dear Friends, Family, Acquaintances, and you lovely random passerby of the Blogosphere-- A year and 10 days ago I set out on a journey to write a blog post a day, for two months straight. I did that successfully, and then decided to extend my challenge to a one-year challenge. My report? I wrote 317 blog posts in a 365-day period. And I think that's pretty rad. A few reflections on this experience: Firstly, I started this blog not just because I love writing, but because I needed help. I was suffering from some intense postpartum anxiety, but I didn't know that's what it was at the time. Every moment of every day I felt like I was under severe stress and pressure, even when there were no evident triggers for such. The feeling in my gut on an almost constant basis felt like the queasy stomach, racing heartbeat, and unsettled mind that greeted me before every math test and job interview I've had growing up. I knew something was wrong, but I didn't know how...
8 comments
Read more

5 Children's Books You Really Oughta Read

I love reading almost as much as I love writing. And I love writing almost as much as I love reading. Depends on the day. One never truly trumps the other. Gotta have both. These are 5 children's books I've read within the past 2 years that gave me that turn-page feeling, that friends-with-the-characters feeling, that weepy-when-it's-over-feeling. I dare you to read one and I triple-dog-dare you to leave a comment below telling me a story that's given YOU them sort of feelings. #5-- Flotsam  by David Wiesner. If you're not much of a reader (or for your loved ones who can't read at all!) check this one out. It's a whimsical wordless picture book that entertains your curiosities of what truly lies at the bottom of the sea while simultaneously indulges hopes of finding something truly awesome washed up on the shores of a summer destination spot. #4-- Echo  by Pam Muñoz Ryan. With three main characters, three plot lines from WWII era, music liter...
6 comments
Read more