My 61 year old mother, Maryanne Ventura, passed away on December 26th  at home. This was the last picture we took together the previous day on Christmas.

For those of you who didn’t know, my mom was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in October. I left my job and rushed back to New York by driving across the country from Seattle in 4 1/2 days. Money has been tight, what with covering medical expenses, car repairs (from driving her daily to chemo and radiation), caring for her dog Scarlett who has bladder Cancer, and now her funeral expenses all while still paying my mortgage back in Washington.

I'm not someone to ever ask for help but... I'm barely functioning due to the loss and the bills added up. I can't stay humble anymore. 

My mom was my best friend. She would try to move heaven and earth for me at any point. I could tell her anything and ask for advice on everything. She’d have a story for it. For my friends who didn’t have ideal relationships with their parents, she would try and step in as motherly figure. She had the biggest heart out of anyone I’ve met, for both people and animals.




My mom loved the New York Yankees, crime shows, music, baking, horse races, holidays, beaches, Diet Coke, crocheting, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, and a ton of other things.

I'm going to miss her so much for the rest of my life but I’m happy knowing she's finally at peace and no longer in pain. And she’ll always be with me in spirit.

Thank you everyone who sent her cards and messages for the last couple months. I made sure she at least got a new letter each day from the mailbox. It brightened her mood and she wrote back to everyone who wrote her.