A Spring Valley family is reaching out to the community for help in laying their loved one to rest after a tragic motorcycle accident.
Jessie Ramirez, 36, lost his life on March 8th when CHP said a van crashed with his Harley Davidson Glide near the Sweetwater Springs Boulevard intersection.
The Ramirez family has started a GoFundMecampaign to cover funeral expenses, as they find themselves short on both time and resources.
Jasmine Ramirez, Jessie's sister, said, "If we can reach 40,000 people, and if 40,000 people donate one dollar, we can reach our goal."
Ramirez will be buried at Greenwood Memorial Park, and Jasmine explained why it is so important to their family that he's laid to rest there.
"We have our aunts and our cousins and grandparents there, so we would like to keep our family together," Ramirez said.
Jessie's mother, too heartbroken to speak on camera, shared how proud of her son she was. She said he served in the Army infantry and made a lasting impact on his family.
Kane Olivares, Jesse's godson said, "I loved him, and every time I saw him, I will cherish it."
Damian Olivarez, Jesse's other godson said, "I just think of a very loving guy and like a strong man that always will love his family and will never like give somebody like a hard time and never hate anybody. He like he was always a great guy to me."
Jasmine recalled her older brother as her favorite person, full of wisdom and clichés like "Work smarter, not harder" and "Whatever you do, do it well."
Jasmine also described Jesse as one to give 'tough love' and remembers one time vividly. "He had this big truck and would sit there, and he'd look over at me like, "Hey, it's gonna be OK. Do you have air in your lungs? Are you breathing? Are you healthy?
Are you able? Then you got a chance."
Nikki Mendez, Jessie's first love and longtime best friend, shared her grief: "We met at 12 and we started dating at 13. Jessie was my greatest teacher in life. I spent my entire adolescence with him, and when I heard of his passing, I just felt like my adolescence died with him. It still feels so unreal, and I just really thought that we had more time."
Gabriel Olivares described his brother-in-law Jesse as an "indestructible type of person," making his sudden loss all the more shocking.
"We couldn't believe it because my brother-in-law was the indestructible type of person. He was a mechanic, he could fix anything," Olivares said. "My little brother was like a MacGyver and I missed the heck out of him. If you can help us out, help us out, please."
Jesse's family is hoping the community will rally behind them to give their hero the final resting place he deserves. The funeral is scheduled for next week, adding urgency to their fundraising efforts.
The family said his funeral service will be on Friday, March 28th.
To help their GoFundMe, click here.
