‘I worry for them and for his wife’: Calgary motorcycle crash victim’s brother says he will look after 7 kids

Three children have been left without a father and their mother remains in hospital after a crash between a motorcycle and an SUV in Calgary this week.

According to family members, 36-year-old Kreshnik Cermjani and his wife Ermira were returning from dinner on June 29. Police said the couple was on a motorcycle headed northbound on 14 Street NW when they collided with a southbound SUV that was turning left on 20 Avenue.

Cermjani died while his wife was seriously injured and is recovering in a Calgary hospital. They have three children who are 11, 14 and 16.  Cermjani’s brother Debatik Cermjani was with his nephews and niece when they heard their parents had been involved in a crash.

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“He was very close with his dad. He (was) saying ‘who is going to take care of us? He did everything for us,'” said Cermjani about his brother’s oldest son.

The two brothers worked together as painters. They had moved to Calgary 15 years ago from Kosovo to start a better life for their young families.

“Nick (Kreshnik) was a super energetic guy and hard worker,” said Ilir Kuqi, president of the Albanian Canadian Association of Calgary.

“Everyone in the community loved Nick. Nick was a super nice guy. He was very supportive when community members were in need – he was always there to help out.”

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up for the family.

Donations have been pouring in from both Calgary’s small Albanian community and people who have been impacted by Cermjani through work and soccer.

“I have been humbled by the support of the entire city of Calgary. Nick has left great impressions on this entire town,” Kuqi said.

“It’s the kids that we are worried about. We want to make sure we create as much support for them as possible. No one can take away the loss of a father.”

Debatik Cermjani has four children of his own. With the tragic loss his brother, he said he now has seven kids.

“I just worry for them and for his wife. That is going to be the motive for the rest of my life. Just to see them good. Just to see them how my brother wanted to see them,” he said.