Gma’s Funeral and Cremation Fund

Hi everyone, my name is Sam S and I’ve made this fundraiser to help my family and I afford my grandma’s, “Gma”, funeral. Her name is Barbara Kalil. She passed away on Saturday August 1st, 2020 unexpectedly. In May of this year my Gma experienced heart failure, afib, and excess fluids on her lungs. We thought she had sinus issues for a few weeks until she woke up and couldn’t breathe. My mom got her to the hospital where she underwent surgery and came home. I spent a few weeks as her “roommate” helping her get stronger and find her new pace. During this time we spoke a lot about death and how it will affect the family. Over the next few weeks she had several appointments with her cardiologist, underwent a stress test for her heart and we then learned her heart was still weak from May. She was told no stress, eat healthy, and be happy. She did all three. On Thursday July 30th, 2020 at 2PM she went in for a heart catheter to see what else her heart needed to heal. At 7:55PM we were told she was bleeding from the site and would need to stay for an additional hour and a half. Around 9:30PM we were told she has a massive bruise, hemoglobin, where the cath site was and an ambulance was being called. My mom and I left the parking lot to retrieve some items for her as she would be there for what were told “a couple of hours.” She never came home. It was almost midnight when the ambulance arrived, no sirens, no lights. The last image of her alive I have is of her being put into the ambulance telling both my mother and I she loves us. The next day, Friday July 31st, 2020, she had the hole in her leg closed and was being monitored. My family was told she has possibly “10-15 years” of life left in her. All she needed to do was walk on her own. She rested. The next morning, Saturday August 8th, 2020, she took her first steps around 11:30AM. Only a few steps in and she collapsed. She couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t see, she was scared. She coded. They got her back. She was not responsive in her eyes or motions but they had a pulse. She coded again, they brought her back. At this point they had sent her for a full body scan. They were unsure of why she went down so fast. Ultimately my Gma passed away of Catastrophic Aortic Dissection; aka her aorta burst from her belly to her neck into her jaw. It wasn’t until 2PM my mother and I were told we had lost her. This is a complete shock to our family. We thought we had more time. My mother was thankfully in the same room and was able to spend those last few moments just being with her. Gma was able to pass with a loved one by her side. This fundraiser is to support my family and I in these hard times. Gma had began to set up her final arrangements in June this year after the first surgery. She was able to make two payments on her cremation plan leaving a roughly $1000 bill. We have not been able to get into Greenwood Cemetery here in Downtown Orlando just yet to purchase a plot as she wishes. We have to wait another two months (due to COVID-19). This plot is about $2500-3000 for us. My family and I do not have the means to come up with $4000 overnight or in the next two months. Any money donated to this fund is going straight to the funeral and cremation of our beloved Gma. She was a daughter, a mother, a grandma, and even a great grandma. She was the spunkiest little lady anyone met. She welcomed everyone in and treated them with kindness, love, and as her own. My Gma taught me how to be a better human. She was there for the darkest days and the brightest days. We all loved her dearly. She held our family together through thick and thin. She was a warrior of a woman. Lastly I want to go ahead and say my family and I are grateful for any money donated. We are simply asking for help to send my Gma to the next stage of her afterlife. We want to be able to give her the service she deserves. Thank you so much for reading and donating, The Smith Family (the photo is of my Gma, my mother and I in 2015 celebrating the holidays at Walt Disney World.)