San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Solomon Thomas lost his sister, Ella, on the morning of January 23.
"You are forever by my side. Forever," wrote Solomon via Instagram six days after his family's loss. "Thank you for everything, Ella."
Great 49ers gift ideas ⇨Solomon's mother, Martha, will be walking 16 miles in the Out of the Darkness Overnight Walk in Dallas, Texas on June 2. She is doing it to honor Ella, who died by suicide. Martha's initial goal for the fundraiser was to raise $1,000 to support the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention.
"I walk not only because of what has happened to Ella and our family," wrote Martha on the donation page. "I walk because I want to help others, I want others to have better information and resources, I want to make this a better world. Please help me in support of those who suffer."
At the time of Martha's Twitter post below, she had raised $235 toward her initial goal.
On June 2 I will be walking in The Out of the Darkness Overnight Walk in Dallas to honor Ella. I'm asking you to help me raise $1000 to support the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention. https://t.co/snc6pTLqXJ
— Martha Thomas (@horstthomas) May 22, 2018
"Ella was about love," wrote Martha. "She exuded love to everyone around her. She was strong and tough, unbelievably hilarious, honest to her core, gifted with people, and stunningly gorgeous. She was the kind of woman who made every person feel like the most important person to her. She was a gift to all of us who knew and loved her, and there are so many of us."
Word reached general manager John Lynch and the 49ers, who immediately donated $5,000 toward her cause, which is five times her initial goal.
Martha, Chris and Solomon, The Niners would like to start out the donations with $5,000 in honor of Ella. https://t.co/5yJtfZT9ub
— John Lynch (@JohnLynch49ers) May 22, 2018
Information about the Out of the Darkness Overnight Walks can be found here. You can also donate directly to the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention from their official site.