INDIANAPOLIS — Jeff Mullis lost his wife Tracy to COVID-19 in May of 2020.
"She went into the hospital I think it was the day after Easter and she never came home,” Mullis said.
He and his daughters are still adjusting to life without their beloved mother and wife.
"So just kind of learning how to deal with her not being around anymore,” Courtney Mullis, 25, Jeff's daughter said.
Now the family is taking that grief and turning it into something good, all in the name of Tracy and the words she lived by: I got this.
"She always said that, we just live by that now,” Kendra Mullis, 23, Jeff's daughter added.
"Something goes wrong at the house it was, "Don't worry, Jeff, I got this." I'd be out of town working and the girls would call and they'd ask me to come home to help with something and she would get on the phone and say, "Jeff don't worry about it I got this," Jeff recalled.
Their nonprofit called, I Got This, will help those who experience an unexpected death in their family. While Jeff was able to cover his wife’s funeral expenses when she passed away, he realized that’s not the case for everyone. I Got This will help with costs that come along with a death in the family and provide emotional support for those who lost loved ones.
"Help pay for funerals, help pay bills, and then our big thing is, we're calling it healing sessions," Jeff said. "Help families that are grieving, let them grieve, and let them know that it's OK to grieve."
Tracy had a vasculitis disease called Wegener's granulomatosis and wanted Jeff to donate her body to research when she passed away. That was not able to happen because of COVID-19. Jeff said this allows her to still help others in another way.
"This is sort of replacing that to honor her," Jeff explained.
The hope is that the organization will grow to help many families as they go through the most challenging times in their lives.
"You hear people say, it gets easier. It doesn't get easier, you just have to learn to cope with it. Put it in the back of your mind and go about your daily life. That's what my wife would've wanted and I think that's what people need to know,” Jeff said.
"It's not just about my mom and her story, it's about everyone,” Courtney added.
I Got This is still in its early stages and will have its first fundraising event this August.
For more details on the organization and how you can help or receive assistance, click here.
