Main fundraiser photo

Funeral & Medical Assistance for Mayi and Laurel

Donation protected
On the evening of October 3rd, my mother Laurel and sister Mayi were struck by an uninsured reckless driver in Memphis, TN while on their way to starting a new chapter in New Mexico. Their moving truck was flipped over: my mother was hospitalized, and my sister was killed. She was only 21 years old.

There is nothing that can ever prepare you for the unfathomable loss of someone you love most in the world. Mayi’s fun, kindhearted soul, sweet smile, and endless compassion will forever be remembered by all who knew her. She loved her family and friends fiercely and selflessly. She was living with our disabled mother for the past several years, helping to make ends meet and be a caregiver. She was just starting to figure out who she was and wanted to be in life – only for it to be abruptly and violently taken away from her. We want to bring her back from Memphis to be put to rest near our grandmother in Atlanta, but the costs are insurmountable.

As a single mom for most of her adult life, our mother has always struggled to make ends meet, but even raising three children by herself while coping with a disability could not come close to the struggle that is before us now.
In addition to the worst loss any mother can ever have, Laurel has now also lost everything they owned in the world that was inside the moving truck. The only vehicle she has was also involved in the accident being towed behind the moving truck. To add insult to injury, while in the hospital for her injuries and trying to reconcile the loss of her child, someone stole all the cash from her purse. That cash represented everything that she had been saving up for the move. She quite literally has lost almost everything.

We are now currently stuck in Memphis until the investigation is complete and Mayi’s body has been released to us. I don’t know what will happen from here, especially since my mother is now without a home and I have no idea how we will be able to bury my sister. I wish I could say something more eloquent right now but I’m still in shock and trying to handle things as best I can until I have the opportunity to grieve.

We are utterly heartbroken and cannot comprehend how we will carry on without our sweet sister. Even if $1 is all you can afford, every bit would be more appreciated than you could ever know. Please share this as widely as you can. Thank you, for whatever you can do.

Donations 

    Organizer and beneficiary

    Melody LaRochelle
    Organizer
    Atlanta, GA
    Laurel Phoenix
    Beneficiary

    Your easy, powerful, and trusted home for help

    • Easy

      Donate quickly and easily

    • Powerful

      Send help right to the people and causes you care about

    • Trusted

      Your donation is protected by the GoFundMe Giving Guarantee