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Community Corner

Benefit Held To Help Family Who Lost Son to Disease

Joshua Wethers, 23, son of Rail Ranch Elementary Interim Principal Tammy Hunter-Wethers, died Feb. 6 after suffering complications from sickle cell disease.

A benefit was held Wednesday night to raise money for the family of a Murrieta Valley High School graduate who died last week after losing a lifelong battle with sickle cell anemia.

Joshua Wethers, 23, died of complications from the disease Feb. 6 after he was hospitalized Jan. 30.

The benefit took place at Chick-fil-A Murrieta. The restaurant was buzzing with business and at moments people were waiting outside in the rain to get into the packed eatery.

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“We are donating 20 percent of the sales tonight from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. to go to the family. We also have the spinning wheel where you can spin to win,” said Lorrie Robertson, marketing director for Chick-fil-A Murrieta.

Mark Wethers recounted to Patch how he watched the Super Bowl with his son Joshua, not knowing that it would be their last football game together.

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Joshua, who attended school full time, also worked part-time with his dad at Best Buy Murrieta in the home theater department.

Support has come from the company Mark works for in Murrieta.

“My manager has told me to take as much time as I need off; Days, weeks, months, it doesn’t matter,” Wethers said.

“They’ve (Best Buy) brought in bereavement counselors from corporate."

Wethers said he was surprised at the support he has garnered from his employers and even strangers.

“It’s just an incredible show of support.”

According to Wethers, his son respected his family, friends and co-workers and had a great personality.

“He had a personality where he had you at hello,” Mark Wethers said.

Cathy Bearse, 57, of Murrieta said she felt devastated over the family's loss.

“I feel very, very sad for their loss,” Bearse said. “I have a 23-year-old daughter who went through cancer at the age of 16.

“I looked death in the eye, but never felt the death of a child.”

Bearse, who has been friends with Tammy Wethers for five years, described Joshua as a happy person.

“He was very fun and always had a smile on his face.”

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