Before Barbie, we had our mom, but she's gone now

Our incredible mom, Christine, lost her hard-fought, 12-year battle w/cancer on Saturday, January 6, 2024. Our mom was strong, funny, warm, creative, resilient, loyal, tenacious, vibrant, and beautiful. We are devastated to have lost her so young (31 days shy of her 56th birthday), but also recognize how lucky we are to have had the time we did. Our children got to know, grow, love, and create memories with her and that fills us with so much joy and gratitude.

We are humbly asking for donations to help to settle her final affairs with dignity.

I, her eldest daughter, Sofia, am also asking for donations on behalf of my tireless sister Sylvia, who’s been my mom’s primary caregiver for the last several years. As her long-term roommate, my mom used part of her fixed income to contribute towards housing costs and everyday necessities such as groceries. As my sister grieves the loss of our mom, she will also have to manage the financial burden of transitioning to a single-income household with three young children. Not only does she have a full-time job, but she’s also running a small business, and picks up Instacart orders. All of this and yet this QUEEN still finds time to volunteer at her church (Alexa, play Reba’s “Survivor” on repeat). She deserves the world (obvs), but I am asking if we can all just give her a little financial breathing room as she makes the transition.

Thank you so much in advance for your generosity, and if you can, please share this across your socials.

More than anything though, tell the people you love how you feel, and often – it will always be worth it.

xo, Sofia, Sylvia, and Synthia

Here's my beautiful mom at about 19, making squinting look like the most glamorous thing you could do, and me as a baby giving 1980s realness.

December 2023 in the hospital

Her at my sister, Sylvia and I's baptism circa 1991

My niece Olivia pretending to be the patient and my mom pretending to give her a shot (July 2023), after my mom's brain surgery.