Almost all of my life, it's always been me, my mom, and my gma (grandma). We were always together, and my gma and I were extremely close. She was my gma, but in some ways, she was also my bonus mom. My gma was diagnosed with dementia when I was 13 years old, and she moved in with my mom and me. A year later, my mom had my little sister, Erika. After a few years, my gma's dementia got so bad that she needed 24-hour care. My mom is a single mom, and she was taking care of my gma with dementia, my little sister, and me all by herself. It was hard on her, and she could no longer care for my gma the way she needed. I saw how heartbroken and disappointed my mom was when she had to put my gma into a nursing home, even though she knew it was the best thing to do so my gma would be properly cared for. I'm 21 now, and my gma just passed away. I've known people who have died, but I've never experienced this before. I didn't know that I could feel this type of magnitude of pain and hurt that I'm feeling. I loved my gma so much, and now that she's gone to heaven, I feel like a piece of my heart is gone as well.

The reason I'm making this fundraiser is for my mom. My mommy lost her mommy, and the grief has almost taken complete control over her. Words can't describe how heartbroken my mom is. This isn't the first devastating loss my mom has experienced. My gma had another daughter who was my mom's older sister. When my mom was 15 years old, her older sister died in a car accident. My gma grieved her daughter until the dementia took over her brain, and my mom is still heavily grieving for her. I can tell that my mom is forcing herself to act normal. She's trying and pretending to be strong and okay in front of me and my 7-year-old sister, but I can see the emptiness and pain in her eyes. She's hurting and grieving so bad that she's not really sleeping or eating, and because of all of this and more, she's definitely not able to go to work anymore. I'm working and doing all I can to help, especially with my little sister. My mom's job has been very nice and told her that she could take as much time as she needs and that she would have her job back when she is ready to come back to work. Unfortunately, she won't be getting a paycheck during that time. I work, and I can pay for some of the bills and things, but I know that I don't make enough to cover all the rent, utilities, food, and other things like toilet paper, soap, and other household stuff. I know my mom, and I know that she will bounce back from this and continue being the best mom again, but right now, my mom is overwhelmed with grief. I hate that I can't just take care of everything on my own, and I wish I could. So I'm asking you to please consider donating to help me help my mom and my little sister, Erika. I just don't want us to end up homeless by losing our place because of this, because I can't afford it with just my paycheck, and I'm trying to make sure that my mom, little sister, and I are able to get through this without having to lose anything else. Seeing my mom like this is killing me, and I have to make sure we're okay just like my mom has always made sure my little sister and I are okay. Anything you are able to donate helps, and that includes prayers for us as well. Thanks for reading this, and I appreciate you for caring. My mom is an amazing mom and would never neglect us or her responsibilities; she just lost her mommy, and she doesn't have a husband or life partner to take over. My mom is human, and losing a loved one is hard, especially losing a parent, child, or sibling. Please help me pick up the pieces and help me cover the next month or two of household expenses.

We love and will FOREVER miss you gma.