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

Where's Number Three

A neighbor in her mid-thirties. A woman in her seventies. Their single commonality? They both asked me: Where's number three? I have a son, his name Charlie And then McKay, he's not quite three In my heart, both fit perfectly Yet others ask: Where's number three? Perhaps it's that I miscarried, My spouse's infidelity, The ache of infertility, A battle raging mentally, Illness on a crippling spree, Our family is complete, maybe. The reason's one or more of these, Yet you dare ask: Where's number three? In this question, running free Are judgements, jeering icily "You're not enough, Mik, can't you see? Buck up and give us number three!" I used to flounder, squirm, agree Or curl up small, cry, and plead. With time, I've seen things differently. I won't explain for number three. The questions of maternity Are just between my spouse and me And Parents, guiding Heavenly So please don't ask: Where's number three? Artwork Credit: Be...
4 comments
Read more

Three Novels in Progress. Two Blogs. One Writer. A Whole Lot of Shenanigans

Where in the world is Carmen SanDiego? Ahem, I mean Mikayla Johnson? (a wink to any of you 90s kids that remember that show. To be honest, I don't remember more than the show's jingle, but, still . . . good times) So, where can you find my writing?  Some of you beloved readers have found my writing through this blog; you're die–hards that have been around as long as six years. Bless you. You probably noticed that I did a dive-bomb off the blogosphere from 2019 til 2022. Now, contrary to popular belief, I did not stop writing. Rather, I went back to writing novels.  That's where more of you beloved readers found me. Gratefully, I have a wealth of good people who volunteered to beta read my novels and have been coaching and cheerleading me along in that journey. Bless you, too.  Still, more of you have found my writing through social media platforms, a second website ( mikjohnsonwrites.com ), my ENGL 420 class, and beyond. And, of course, I could never forget the handfu...
3 comments
Read more