Michael Raymond Wetzel was such a great dad that his best friend often joked that he was “jealous” of Wetzel’s natural parenting skills.
After he was killed in Wednesday’s San Bernardino mass shooting, those closest to Wetzel, and people whom he never met, banded together to ensure that his six children continue to be taken care of in the best way possible.
Wetzel, who worked as a supervising environmental health specialist, was one 14 people killed at the Inland Regional Center on Wednesday when two attackers stormed the nonprofit that services people with disabilities.
When Wetzel’s wife, Renee, learned of the shooting, she immediately alerted a Facebook support group for moms to which she belongs. Celia Behar, co-founder of Lil' Mama’s, quickly sprung into action, reached out to Renee and prepared for the worst.
When Behar found out that Wetzel had died, she set up a fundraiser through YouCaring, which was up and running by 8 a.m. on Thursday, Behar told The Huffington Post.
“We’re all in this with her. Everyone was very concerned,” Behar said of the group that has 3,500 members.
Behar, who lives in Los Angeles, and Renee have never actually met in person. But the two have grown close through the Facebook group where members share parenting experiences, tips and advice.
As of Friday afternoon, the fund had collected more than $220,000. Behar hopes to continue growing the fund and, perhaps, set up trusts for the kids since the family will likely face financial hardship in the near future.
Renee is a stay-at-home mom raising six kids. She has two children from her first marriage, Wetzel had three with his first wife, and the couple had a baby together. Behar emphasized that the funds will support Renee and all of the surviving children.
Behar had initially just hoped to collect $25,000 and said she feels moved by how supporters have come together to support Renee who described her husband as “the most amazing person she ever met and her best friend.”
For now, the money raised will likely go towards funeral costs, and the family’s everyday basic needs.
The campaign has already served as a means of solace for the grieving woman.
“She started crying," Renee’s best friend told Behar of how the widow reacted when she found out about the fund. "She just felt so much relief that there was such a cushion."
Learn more about the Wetzel family fund and how you can help here.
San Bernardino Shooting
