Gems of Opal: Moms memorial foundation fund.

The donations received by this fundraiser will contribute to: 

• Funeral expenses (service, burial, transportation, etc) on April 9th, 2022
• Costs of living, housing, and education (to finish college) for Opal’s daughters to rebuild their lives after this tragedy.

Everything is appreciated & anything helps!

Hello and thank you for taking your precious time to support our family. The ultimate intention of this fundraiser is to honor the legacy of our mother, Opal Arana Brown, by giving her a funeral and memorial service worthy of such an incredible woman. This funding will help support her surviving daughters as they transition to life without their beloved mother, and following the funeral to create a foundation to empower women to prioritize their reproductive and mental health through education and community support.

Our mother’s battle

On her 60th birthday, Opal was diagnosed with endometrial cancer in April of 2021. She underwent chemotherapy through the summer of that year and had a full hysterectomy to remove the affected area. The procedure showed promising results with the cancer going into remission by the end of the year. Looking optimistically into 2022, Opal was ready to begin a new chapter of her life, moving towards full restoration of excellent health. In February 2022, to our shock and dismay it was discovered that the cancer had returned, this time affecting the gastrointestinal region. Our family rallied around our mother through prayers of hope and giving support in their area of their expertise. Whether it was sending a home cooked meal or sharing herbal remedies and essential oils to comfort and help facilitate her recovery. She received an outpouring of love and support in due kind to the immense love, generosity, and kindness that she exuded to anyone who came across her path. The rapid and unceremonious return of her illness took all of us by surprise and in March 2022, Opal unfortunately lost her battle with cancer less than a year after her initial diagnosis.

Gems of Opal

In the wake of this devastating experience, we have become inspired to commemorate our wonderful mother by establishing a foundation. Gems of Opal is intended to advocate for women to take dominion over their reproductive and mental health, encouraging them to learn more about their body and make their well-being paramount so they can be vibrant contributors to their communities and have the vitality to enjoy their families for decades to come. The foundation Gems of Opal, that will be run by her daughters, to champion women’s wellness, so that others will garner the ability to prevent or detect illnesses early and obtain the resources to overcome their ailments. We plan to achieve this through an array of offerings, from online courses on female health, weekend workshops to cultivate community, sharing advice from experts on women’s issues and so much more.

*The funeral is our primary and most urgent concern to address, all donations collected between now and April 9th will go towards burial expenses. Afterwards, this fund will remain open to receiving donations until we meet our goal to continue to help support our family and to set up the foundation.*

Thank you from the fullness of our hearts!

Ty,Rocky,Rifa & Zoey