My name is Hailey and I’m writing a memoir in honor of my late mother — a woman who endured more heartbreak and loss than most could ever imagine, yet never stopped loving or fighting for those she cared for.

My mother’s life was filled with unimaginable tragedy: she lost her parents and siblings in a house fire where my grandmother heroically stayed behind, shielding her children with her arms. My grandmother was later awarded the Star of Courage for her bravery. My mom also lost two babies to a rare kidney disease before adopting me, and later adopted another baby — but as a widow, she faced hardship and had to give that child up after my father passed.

My father died of cancer when I was just five years old. My mom cared for him at home because she didn’t want his final days spent in a hospital. After losing him, she battled her own cancer when I was fifteen, and though she survived, she passed away years later unexpectedly in her sleep from a peptic ulcer.

Through every trial, my mother showed strength, grace, and love. She even attended Alcoholics Anonymous after her illness and found purpose again — she wanted to live for me. We shared an unbreakable bond. I was her caregiver as a teenager, and she was my comfort through years of bullying and pain from living with intellectual disabilities.

Before she passed, she dreamed of writing a book about her life — her survival, her losses, and her hope. Now, I’m writing it for her. Sleeping with Her Story While Mine Awakens is a memoir about my mother’s journey and my own — a testament to love, loss, and finding light through tragedy.

I’m asking for help to bring this story to life. The funds will go toward publishing costs, editing, and outreach so that my mother’s strength and courage can inspire others who’ve faced loss, abuse, grief, or hopelessness.

Every donation — big or small — helps me fulfill her final dream and share our story of resilience with the world.

Hailey condie