Help Aya Fight Cancer and Care for Her Son

Update:

With a heavy heart, we wanted to share an update with you. Wednesday morning, with her mom by her side, Aya left us on November 29, 2023. We are so grateful for all the love, support and generous donations.

We will be using these funds to pay for Aya’s remaining medical costs, funeral arrangements and necessities for Deion. Your love and contributions mean more to us than you will ever know.

Aya’s celebration of life ceremony will be held on December 12, 2023 from 9am - 1pm HST at Oahu Mortuary. Thank you again.

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Ayako Richards needs your help to support her son, Deion, as she fights cancer. Aya, a loving mother and friend, has touched many with her nail artistry, strength, positive energy and kindness. She has always put on a smile for her son, friends and family and never wanted anyone to worry about her. Behind the scenes, Aya has been fighting the biggest battle of her life with an aggressive cancer that has been quickly spreading. Monetary support is immediately needed to provide necessities for her 8 year old son and take care of a large amount of medical bills.

Her journey with cancer began in 2017 when Aya was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer when Deion was only 2 years old. She endured months of chemotherapy and after battling through many treatments and removal of her breasts and ovaries, she started to recover and felt hopeful. A couple years later in 2019, Aya’s hopes were shattered when she found out the cancer returned and spread to her lymph nodes. After years of chemotherapy and radiation, in 2023, Aya received the devastating news that the cancer had spread to her bones.

Although Aya received treatments, her health continued to decline. In August 2023, Aya was diagnosed with a progressive cancer called extensive leptomeningeal carcinomatosis which affects the spinal region and brain. The condition is terminal and her life expectancy could be 6 – 12 months. In October 2023, the cancer continued to spread and throughout this time, Aya has been struggling with intense headaches, difficulty focusing, constant nausea and difficulty walking. She continues to fight for her life and relies on friends and family to help care for her and Deion. As a person who wants to give her son the world and be there for him, it has been heartbreaking to see that Aya is not able to care for Deion right now due to her health.

Many know Aya as a talented owner of a nail salon. Due to her health, she has not been able to work and has had close to no income. In addition, Aya has no family in Hawaii and needs help. The funds would not only help pay for medical bills and basic necessities for her son, but it will also help with living expenses to allow Deion to maintain as much of his current life as possible.

Thank you for your contributions, thoughts and prayers for our dear friend Aya and her son.

Note: This fundraiser has been setup by Dayna, Clara and other friends of Ayako Richards. Beneficiary is Dayna Okuma, friend of Aya and god mom to Aya’s son Deion, who will make sure funds go to paying Aya’s medical bills, living expenses and necessities for Deion such as meals, clothes, school/sports, etc. Funds for Deion will be placed in an account or trust under his name.