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Sami Dorman

@samidorman

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A Lover of Community ❣️ Mama Bear 🐻 LA Based Yoga & Group Fitness Instructor 🔥Certified Life Coach 🦋 Fitness Junkie ⚡️Advocate for Love 🤍

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I’m still trying to process Ari’s death and all the emotions that come with this loss. ❤️

Ari was an important part of my life and my story, and it’s still hard to believe that he’s gone. Looking through these old photos brings back so many memories — so much laughter, love, and ridiculousness. ❤️

His family recently held a beautiful memorial for him in San Jose and is now planning a memorial here in Los Angeles. I wanted to share their GoFundMe for anyone who knew and loved Ari, or anyone who would like to help support his family during this incredibly difficult time.

If you’re able to donate or even just share, it would mean so much. I’ve placed his GoFundMe link in my bio. ❤️

Rest peacefully, Ari. You are deeply missed. ❤️ by @samidorman

I found out late last night that Ari passed away, and I’m still trying to wrap my head around it.
There are some people who become permanently woven into the fabric of your life, even when your lives eventually take different paths. Ari was one of those people for me.
We shared an intense, complicated, beautiful chapter of our lives. We loved each other deeply. We hurt each other. We found our way back to each other more than once. And through it all, there was a bond between us that I don’t think ever completely disappeared.
Ari was with me on one of the hardest days of my life—the day I found out my brother had died. Because of that, and because of so many other moments we shared, a part of him will always be connected to a part of me.
Last September, after losing a mutual friend, we found our way back into each other’s lives again. We texted, followed each other, and spent this past year quietly keeping up with one another. In one of our last conversations, he joked about me having gone around that merry-go-round with him twice. He thanked me for my efforts. It made me laugh then. It means something very different to me now.
I’ve been looking through hundreds of photographs and remembering just how much I loved him. And how much life we lived in the years that our paths crossed.
Ari had a kind heart. He struggled with things that sometimes made loving him very difficult, but those struggles were never the entirety of who he was. I was so happy to know that he had been doing well and had found sobriety.
I’m incredibly sad that his story ended here.
I’m grateful that we found our way back to a place of warmth and friendship. I’m grateful for our last silly conversation. And I’m grateful that once upon a time, I got to love him very, very much.
Rest peacefully, Ari. ❤️ by @samidorman

Welcome to our family, Margo! We love you so much already! We adopted her from the Pasadena Humane Society this past Saturday. She has made herself at home with us and we couldn’t be happier with her! ❤️🐶 by @samidorman

Hello friends 🤍
I’d love for you to meet my son, Noah—my bear (he still loves his nickname)—who has been learning to find his place in a world that wasn’t always built with him in mind.

Noah has come out as transgender and uses he/him pronouns. He asked me to share this, and I do so with so much love and pride.

It’s been a very big year for him. Within the past year, Noah was diagnosed with Level 1 Autism and ADHD after being misdiagnosed earlier in life. For so long, he was trying to understand himself while also trying to fit into spaces that didn’t always understand him. He experiences the world deeply and differently—he doesn’t always pick up on social cues, but he tries so hard to connect, to express himself, and to be seen.

This past year has also brought heartbreak. Noah recently lost his friend group, and much of it came down to those differences—how he communicates, how he processes, how he shows up. It’s been incredibly painful to watch him try so hard to belong in spaces that didn’t always know how to hold him with the care he deserves.

And yet… there is so much beauty in who he is.

Noah is sensitive, thoughtful, and truly unique. Like many neurodivergent kids, he has spent years “masking” parts of himself just to fit in—when really, he deserves to be met with understanding exactly as he is.

Through it all, he continues to shine. This year, Noah was cast as Beetlejuice at Young Stars Theatre—his first lead role—and also performed in his high school production of Mean Girls. The love, support, and acceptance from both casts and production teams has meant everything to him, especially this past month. I am so deeply grateful to those communities for seeing him and holding him with such kindness.

If you feel moved, I would love for you to share a few words of encouragement, love, or support here for Noah. He has the gentlest heart, and I know it would mean so much to him.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and for holding space for him.
May we all lead with a little more love 🤍 by @samidorman

Cut Copy at the Bellwether with my bear 🐻! The Looking Glass Lounge was so worth it! Zoe stood to my right and blocked my shoulder all night 😜🙏🏼 Cut Copy was incredible! Grateful my kiddo still wants to hang with me!! ❤️ by @samidorman

Hadestown with my bear 🐻 Absolutely incredible ❤️ Pro tip- bring tissues! by @samidorman

Homecoming ready! 🐻 ❤️🕺🏼💃🏼 by @samidorman

Wrapped up another challenging PT session! The Game Ready ice machine at the end is pure magic—way better than what I have at home, and it makes the hard work SO worth it! One of these babies costs $3,000 though… so unless someone wants to gift me one, I’ll just enjoy it here 😅✨❄️ thanks for all the love and support, friends! ❤️ I can hardly wait to get back to work!! 🚲 💪🏽 by @samidorman

✨ Recovery Update ✨

Here I am, rocking the latest in apartment fashion—my trusty ice machine attachment—taking it one step at a time. 💪❄️

Recovery from multiple surgeries has definitely been challenging, and I’m still working my way through physical therapy with plenty more to go. But overall, I’m doing well and moving forward! 🙌

I miss all of my amazing gym buddies so much and can’t wait to be back at work and back with all of you. Your support means the world to me. 💕

A HUGE thank you to my gym friends for surprising me with the biggest card I’ve ever seen, the most beautiful flowers, and thoughtful Trader Joe’s gift cards. I feel so loved and cared for! 🌸💌🛒 by @samidorman

I was deeply saddened to hear of Anthony’s passing. He was such a bright light—someone with the biggest heart and one of the kindest souls I’ve ever known. Even though it’s been years since we last saw each other, I’ll never forget the day he picked me up and took me to the beach to cheer me up after a breakup. That was who he was—always showing up with a hug and a smile. The world has truly lost a gem. Sending love to his family and to all who were lucky enough to know him. ❤️ by @samidorman

First day of 10th grade! My bear is growing up way too fast ❤️🐻 Super cute pic taken by @gojmoney by @samidorman

Post Op appointment went well! Although my incisions are healing well and my x-rays looked good, I was sent directly to the ER. I had pulled my hamstring repositioning myself in bed, if you can believe that, and my ankle was swollen. My surgeon was concerned about a blood clot in my leg. After 6 hours in the ER, labs and ultrasound came back normal. I’m so grateful my mom was there with me for the long haul. We’d already spent 3 hours at my post op appointment that morning. It was definitely an experience! If you ever need to go to the ER, bring a coat and wear pants. It’s freezing in there even though it was almost 100 outside that day. Pro tip- you can ask for blankets (more than one!) they won’t offer them up though! I’m still feeling a good amount of pain and discomfort but I’m staying positive. It helps to be with my mom and my sweet Zoe bear ❤️Thank you, friends, for all of your love and support! by @samidorman