$65K Raised For 'Proper Send Off' Of Slain Buffalo Grove Family

BUFFALO GROVE, IL — As the community continues to mourn a young Buffalo Grove family who were killed in their home last week, a GoFundMe campaign has been started to help pay for a "proper send off" for three of the victims. In two days, and with an initial goal of raising $50,000, the online fundraiser had raised $65,907 as of Tuesday morning.

The GoFundMe was started by Natasha Kuzmenko, a friend of Vera Kisliak, 39, who police say was killed by her husband, Andrei Kisliak, along with the couple's two daughters, Vivian and Amilia, along with Andrei Kisliak's mother and a family pet. Police revealed Monday that after killing his family in their Acacia Terrace home, Andrei Kisliak then took his own life.

"Vera was a devoted and a loving mom to a fun, loving, energetic, always smiling 7-year-old Vivi and delicate, kind, sweet 4-year-old Amilusha," Kuzmenko said. "She did her best to keep them safe and happy, but their lives were cut too short in the most gruesome way."

According to Kuzmenko, family members, including Vera Kisliak's sister, who has a newborn baby, and an 87-year-0ld grandmother, both live overseas.

"As you can imagine, they were not at all prepared for the financial burden that comes along with a proper funeral service, burial and the transportation costs as they would like to lay them to rest in their hometown," Kuzmenko said. "All the donations will be going to offset these costs."

Kuzmenko said an update for the memorial service will be announced as soon as the arrangements are finalized.

GoFundMe is a Patch promotional partner.

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