Giving back to Malinda

We would love nothing more than to see our  friend, Malinda, get some financial relief. Our goal is to raise enough money to pay off her house so she never has to worry about not being able to afford it. She is deserving for so many reasons and if you know Malinda, then you already know why. For those of you that don’t know Malinda, we’d like to share her story so you can get to know this amazing, resilient woman. Her life was never easy and she finally felt like she was whole when she met her husband, Shayne. She found someone she could depend on and who supported and loved her unconditionally, no strings attached. They married, had a son and bought a house and the little family she made with Shayne made her genuinely happy. She always wore a genuine smile, had a glint of love that sparkled in her eyes, and a laugh that could bring the house down. The love she and Shayne had for each other is a love that few know – a love that Hollywood wishes they could base their movies on -  a love that transcended any bad days or disagreements. They were inseparable; two bodies beating as one. That happiness was taken from her on December 22, when Shayne had a massive heart attack and died instantly just three days before Christmas and almost a month after his 46th birthday (November 23rd). They never had a chance to say good-bye, just share their morning routine and kiss as she rushed off to work, expecting the day to go as any other. The instant loss left a hole of grief and emptiness. Her life partner, best friend, the beat that made her heart pump was suddenly just gone. Now anyone who knows Malinda will tell you that she lit up a room with her smile, laugh and spirit. After Shayne passed, she lost her spark and her spirit has never been the same. A piece of her left with him. A woman who once emanated happiness, was now a woman with a broken spirit, a broken heart. She was now a widow and single mother trying to maintain a household and create a new “normal” for her then 14 year old son. Slowly trying to put the pieces of their lives back together, tragedy once again struck. On March 1, 2018, Malinda’s sister-in-law, 8 year old niece, 6 year old nephew and 2 year old nephew were found brutally murdered in their home on the other side of town. 

As if this wasn’t enough for Malinda and her son to deal with, now Malinda’s father has been diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer.  She has been bringing him back and forth to doctors’ appointments and is bringing him for treatments. Her mother also became very ill two weeks before Christmas and has been hospitalized ever since. Malinda is basically managing three households while also working a full-time job and a part-time job. The wear and tear on her already shattered heart is taking a toll.  Between the inevitable grief she will shortly endure losing yet another family member, to her financial stress of “keeping afloat”, to carrying the household through winters and seasonal yard care and house upkeep, to worrying if her son, Adam, is growing up okay, to just making it through her day knowing the world – her world – is on her shoulders and no one else can carry that burden as she is it to care for her dad’s needs. As another tragedy strikes, we all think how can one person take on so much? How does she get up every day and keep going and still find love and kindness to share? How long can she continue on before the floor opens up and swallows her in financial burdens or another tragedy? Yet – she’d never actually communicate those feelings to anyone. She just picks herself up and carries on and tries to find a silver lining, and that is why we as her friends NEED to do something GOOD for HER. Because she’s the one that has suffered yet she is the one always doing something good for the rest of us. It’s time she’s on the receiving end of happy news. In June, Malinda’s son will be graduating and she will lose the additional income she needs to keep up with her mortgage payments. Our goal is to raise enough money to pay off Malinda’s home, the home she shared with her husband so that she doesn’t have to bear that burden any longer. We can’t bring Shayne or Sarah or “the babies” as Malinda called them, back but we are hoping to relieve some of her financial burdens so she has some kind of relief. We want to “give back” to a woman who has given so much to others. Thank you in advance for your help!