Cassy's Tribute to Her Mother, a True Fighter

Hello, my name is Cusaundra (Cassy), and on the early morning of June 4th, I was awakened by my phone. It was mom calling to tell me she needed to go to the ER. This is not anything out of the ordinary as mom has been sick for a long time, so I figured I'd get her there; they would give her the meds to bring her heart rate back down and out of Afib as usual. Not this time. My biggest fear was becoming reality as I tried to keep myself calm because I didn't want mom to be upset. After the doctor told us it was just a matter of time, that she could stay in the hospital and they would keep her comfortable, or she could go home with hospice care, she looked at me. I went to ask her what she wanted, but no words came out. I lost it, hyperventilating, trying to take deep breaths so I would calm down and ask her. After talking with the doctor, she decided to get the drain tube and go home. At this point, all I wanted to do was scream, cry, yell, and ask why. But I couldn't. I had to call my kids and niece and tell them that their Nana was not going to make it, my grandma that she was losing her 5th child, my brothers, my husband, her life partner of almost 22 years. Not this time. I told work to take me off the schedule for the time being, figure out what to do with my grandma as I am her caregiver, but I had to be with mom every minute I possibly could as they were my last. I now also had to help and be there for mom to keep her comfortable until the end. She came home Thursday evening, and her apartment was full of family and friends till the end. She was home with her cat and dog in her bed, just like she wanted. All the while hoping that she would pull through this like she has done everything else the past 25 years, but she was tired, and she has fought many hard battles. She passed peacefully at home like she wanted Sunday night, June 8th. When she was going through chemo, she earned her nickname "Purple Hulk." Purple is her favorite color, and she was fighting so hard. She was truly an angel and touched every single person's life and impacted them in some way. She was the anchor of our family. She helped any and everyone she could. We never have had much money. Mom worked 2-3 jobs until her heart attack in 2000, and then she went back to work as soon as she could part-time during tax season so that she wouldn't lose her SSI. She did have a life insurance policy that she had gotten in October 2024, but she didn't make the 3-year deadline to get it. We got back just what she had paid in. So that leaves me with trying to figure out how to get the money owed to the funeral home, for a small storage unit for her things for now until we can get through it all, and for her celebration of life. I'm not one to publicly ask for help, but we really need it. So please, if you can help in any way, we would greatly appreciate it. Nothing is too small. Help us close mom's chapter with ease.