First, I want to thank each and every one of you for all the messages, phone calls and showing of support following the tragic loss our beloved Cricket this past Saturday. I want to respond to everyone, but I just can't. Emotionally shattered. I just returned home with her 7-year old daughter, Virginia-Rose. It is hard explaining to her why she can't see her mom, why her mom isn't coming back. Virginia will now be living with us. I'm worried as I'm only a fraction of the mother that Cricket was. She loved teaching Virginia, and showing her everything, explaining every little detail, patient and kind. She set such a wonderful example for her. I pray I can do the same. She is a 48" version of her mom, through and through! Luckily she has lots and lots of family, her mom's fiance Ryan, and his son Dakota will still be part of our lives. I just want to have a final get-together of all those that loved her throughout her life and celebrate the person she was. A memorial where we can all be together and share our stories of her. Lift each other up. Lift her up. Her moral and self-worth had truly been beaten down at the end. She did not deserve that. And then so sick, it breaks my heart. Cricket was loving, caring to a fault, forgiving, and had the biggest heart of anyone I've ever met. She was vivacious. Fun. Joyous. Daring. Curious. Brave. She was amazing to be around. We all have such wonderful stories of her. So...we want to hold a memorial for her in her home state of Illinois so that her many, many friends and family members can celebrate the life that was cut way too short.

We are planning the service for approximately the second week of February. And people have been contacting her family asking how they might donate. I hate to even ask, but with my husband's debilitating stroke, and now taking on a little one to raise, I am asking for donations to make this possible. She needs to go home. There is currently a memorial service being planned in Georgia, but I know many will be unable to attend. So please, if you could contribute anything to give her this, it would be deeply appreciated. I just want her longtime friends and family to be able to say goodbye. And again, thank you everyone for your prayers, kind words and thoughts.