A daughter without a mother, a mother without her child.

On August 13th, 2025, my life changed forever. I gave birth to my baby girl, but she was born still. I became a mother, yet I never got the chance to bring my daughter home.

This heartbreak reopened a wound I’ve carried for years — the sudden loss of my own mother. I was never able to spread her ashes in the ocean of her homeland. Now, I feel called to honor both of them together, laying their ashes to rest where the waves can carry their love forever.

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Why I’m Asking for Help

Grief has consumed so much of me. I haven’t taken my mother’s passing well, and now I’m struggling to process the death of my child. I know I need time and space to heal, to grieve, and to begin rebuilding my spirit.

I want to travel to the Dominican Republic — not only to spread my mother’s and daughter’s ashes, but also to receive postpartum care and find a safe place to begin my healing journey.

This isn’t a vacation — it’s a chance to survive grief, care for my body after birth, and try to reclaim the smile and life I had before loss.

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How the Funds Will Be Used

Fundraising Goal: $5,000

Every donation will go directly toward:

• Daughter’s cremation and urn/keepsake: $500–$1,000

• Airfare to Dominican Republic: $500–$1,200

• Lodging & postpartum/wellness care (5–7 nights): $500–$2,100

• Meals & local transportation: $200–$500

If you knew my mother, or if you knew me — the Ashley I was when she was alive — I ask for your support. Any amount, big or small, helps me take this step toward healing.

Your kindness is not just financial; it’s a gift of hope, a way of saying my mother and daughter’s lives mattered, and that I still matter too.

With love and gratitude,

Ashley Ruffin