09/21/2026
Five years. Today. 💙
It’s hard to believe that five years have passed since we lost Donna. September 21, 2021 changed our lives forever, and in so many ways, it still feels like yesterday.
For those of us who were lucky enough to know and love Donna, we remember so much more than how she left us. We remember how she lived.
Donna was one of a kind. She was strong, loyal, outrageously funny, and never afraid to tell you exactly what she thought. She loved fiercely, laughed loudly, and had a way of leaving an impression on everyone she met. I was fortunate to call her my best friend, and there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about her.
Five years later, I still miss her voice, her laugh, her advice, her sarcasm, and simply having her here. There are still moments when I wish I could pick up the phone and tell her something—or hear what she would have to say about it. And I can only imagine what she would think about everything that has happened in her name.
Out of an unimaginable loss came The Donna Briggs Foundation, and what started as a way to keep Donna’s memory alive has become so much more. We have been able to help first responders who are struggling, support peer wellness and mental health programs, and continue something that mattered deeply to Donna.
Knowing that her name is now attached to the Donna Briggs Peer Support Retreat at Camp Resilience means more than I can ever put into words. Her legacy is helping people. Her story continues to be told. And her name continues to make a difference.
Donna, I hope somehow you know how loved you still are and how many lives are being touched because of you. I hope you would be proud of what we have built and what we will continue to do in your memory.
Five years without you, but never a day without remembering you.
We do all of this for you, Donna.
We will keep saying your name.
We will keep telling your story.
And we will never forget. 💙
Forever missed. Forever loved. Forever Donna.
