John, my sweet little Daniel spread light and kindness everywhere he went. He was an old soul.
I've dedicated my life to honoring him through this work so no other parent endures the excruciating pain of losing a child to gun violence.
But it shouldn't take the horror of the next school shooting for change to happen. It shouldn't take the next parents screaming in pain on TV. It shouldn't take the next tiny coffins.
Doing this work means I constantly relive Daniel's murder, but it's the responsibility of every American to make gun violence prevention a priority now – not just when it's front-page news.
I know the price of waiting: it's more precious lives like Daniel's lost.
That's why we must reach our match goal to ramp up our work immediately – but with time running out before tonight's midnight deadline, we're still falling short. So please, before you go to sleep tonight, John, I need to personally ask: Can I count on you to donate now to have your gift doubled to protect more children from gun violence?
In just a couple months, I'll mark eight years since Daniel was murdered. He's been gone longer than he lived. Our family has been broken longer than it was whole. It hurts almost more than I can bear.
You may think your family is immune to gun violence, but no one is. We must honor the lives lost, like my sweet little Daniel, by doing everything we can to prevent the next tragedy before it happens. That's why your support today means so much – we are saving lives, together. Thank you.
Mark Barden (Daniel's father)
