A Final Tribute to Elena, the Family's Anchor

Hi, my name is Melissa, and I'm writing this with a heavy heart.

On April 19, 2025, my grandmother Elena passed away in her sleep at my home while in hospice care. Watching her decline, after a lifetime of strength, was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. To be honest, I know I’ll need therapy after this—but she deserved to be loved through every step of her journey, and that’s exactly what I gave her.

Now I’m asking for help to give her the kind of send-off she earned a hundred times over.

Elena was the last of six siblings—and she buried every single one of them. She was the glue of the Vazquez family. The matriarch. The real-deal definition of a strong, selfless, proud Boricua woman who held everyone down.

She helped raise not only her grandchildren, but her great-grandchildren. She opened her home to anyone in need. And when life got hard for me, she put aside her own pride and moved into a friend’s apartment with me—just so I could finish high school at the same school I started in.

She was that woman. The one who carried us all.

Elena was a proud New Yorican—a daughter of Puerto Rico and a queen of Brooklyn. She loved her roots and her city with every fiber of her being. She was funny, sassy, and full of love. And now that she’s gone, I want to celebrate her life with the same passion she gave to all of us.

We’re trying to raise $6,200 to cover her funeral and burial expenses, transportation, and a small reception to honor her legacy. Every dollar goes directly to giving Elena the farewell she deserves.

If you knew her or were touched by her story, I humbly ask that you give what you can—or share this fundraiser to help us spread the word. Even $5 helps. Even just a prayer or a kind word means everything to our family right now.

Thank you for loving her with us.

With love,

Melissa