Help Send Lola to the Philippines

Our Lola, Rosario Centeno, recently passed away this last Saturday. She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer during Valentine's Day Weekend 2015.  Prior to her death, she had already battled breast cancer, debilitating CHF, and underwent bilateral knee replacement. She finally passed away at the age of 89.  She was one of the strongest, most humble individuals I had ever grown to admire. Up until her death, she swore to fight the cancer like she had done before. However, she was not a candidate for chemotherapy or any surgical interventions. Instead, she sadly underwent Hospice care at home and died peacefully in her bed. I lived with her all of my life; she was my second mother.  She helped raise  me, my sisters, and my nephews from the start.

Unfortunately, my Lola never had the opportunity to see her homeland prior to her death. It has been 12 years since her last visit to the Philippines. And even then, her last visit was not one of a vacation but rather a gloomy trip. The last time she visited the Philippines she watched my Mother (who also passed away from cancer) get buried in her hometown.

(Her Last Day at the Hospital)

My family wishes to reunite her with her country by burying her body in her hometown--Limay, Bataan, Philippines.

As you can imagine, transporting her body half way across the world is not cheap. My family is undergoing financial strain at the moment trying to afford the cost of burying her with my Mother. On top of that, my Dad is neglecting his own needs. He has not had the opportunity to grieve appropriately for his own mom. He is struggling from the financial burden and dealing with his own battle against prostate cancer.

Any small donation would be a great help to me and my family.The funds would directly contribute to the cost of her casket, transportation, wake, and burial in the Philippines. Please help make my family's request attainable.