American singer and a member of the vocal group Backstreet Boys, Nick Carter and his sister Angel have started a fund to raise money for children’s mental health wellness in honor of their sibling Aaron, who died a little over a week ago.
“Very grateful for the outpour of love and support for my brother,” Nick wrote in an Instagram story. “In his memory, a donation fund has been started to benefit @OnOurSleevesOfficial, an important children’s mental health organization helping families across America.” The post linked out to a donation form for On Our Sleeves, an organization that provides educational information about mental health to communities around the U.S. and helps connect families to local resources.
“My family and I are overwhelmed by all the love and support that we have been shown over the past week since Aaron’s passing,” Angel wrote in her own Instagram story message. “The amazing memories you’ve shared of Aaron have brought a smile to my facie in an incredibly dark time,” per Rolling Stone.
“Mental health is so unbelievably important,” she continued. “It’s not talked about enough and is so often overlooked. Mental illness leads to so many different problems within your life and can result in serious issues like addiction. In honor of Aaron, a donation fund has been set up to benefit @OnOurSleevesOfficial, an important children’s mental health organization helping families across America.”
“Aaron was an incredibly kind, gentle, talented, and funny person,” she concluded. “We hope that you choose to remember the Aaron we all loved deeply and you continue to keep sharing those beautiful memories of him. Love, Angel.”
The On Our Sleeves donation form says: “Thank you for choosing to celebrate the impact of the life of Aaron Carter with a gift of hope. By honoring Aaron, you help Nick, [Aaron’s twin sister] Angel, and their family’s commitment of helping others.”
Aaron Carter, who became an immediate sensation in the late Nineties with the hit “I Want Candy” and his appearances on Lizzie McGuire and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, died on Nov. 5, at age 34. Both Nick and Angel had fraught relationships with Aaron toward the end of his life. Although no cause of death has been released, Nick has alluded to Aaron’s struggle with mental health as playing a factor in his death. “Sometimes we want to blame someone or something for a loss,” he wrote in a statement following Aaron’s death. “But the truth is that addiction and mental illness is the real villain here. I will miss my brother more than anyone will ever know.”
Sources: Rolling Stone