Help Damaris and her family

On December 26, 2022, my mother Damaris passed away, leaving my younger sister (17) and me (20) absolutely devastated as we just lost the woman who raised us, nurtured us and taught us everything we know. She had been admitted to the hospital in early December due to a severe fever and illness that had affected her cognitive abilities and showed other signs of being more severe. She was eventually diagnosed with encephalitis, a rare viral infection. Upon arriving at the hospital, my mother received subpar care from the staff, which included neglect and poor service. Despite our efforts to advocate for her, it was still a shock when she passed away. It seemed to be a result of gross negligence, and I believe that my mother was a victim of the medical system, which often disproportionately harms Black women and makes it difficult for them to receive proper care. This can lead to worse outcomes for Black women or even death.

The loss of our mother has placed numerous burdens on my sister and me, and we are struggling to navigate this new reality without her. According to her final wishes, we are trying to arrange for her to be laid to rest in our homeland of Kenya. The passing of our mother has also resulted in various expenses that we do not know how we will be able to pay, such as funeral costs, transferring her body, and maintaining the house. We are currently accepting donations to help cover these expenses and any other costs associated with the funeral proceedings, cost of living, and other services we must deal with. If you are unable to give at this time, sharing this fundraiser would be greatly appreciated by my sister and me.