My great aunt is a person who everyone in my family depended on. She’s the oldest of my grandmother’s siblings and helped my great grandparents raise them back home in Hawai‘i. She never had children of her own, but she took part in raising and uplifting all of her siblings, as well as the children and grandchildren of her siblings. Her impact is so deep within our family that she personally helped name every person in our family—18 children and 46 grandchildren whose lives she shaped with her love and wisdom.

In December 2025, she was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. The news was sudden and heartbreaking for all of us. She is currently in hospice in Oregon, where she moved almost two years ago to help care for her younger sister who was battling breast cancer. Even in her final years, her devotion to family never wavered. Now, as we prepare to say goodbye, our family is facing the challenge of honoring her wishes for a proper service and to return her to her beloved Hawai‘i.

The majority of the funds raised will go toward her cremation and the costs of transferring her ashes back home to Hawai‘i, where she always wanted to be laid to rest. Anyone who is able, we would deeply appreciate any donations towards making sure my aunty is laid to rest at home. She’s touched the lives of so many people and deserves to be ushered to the other side in peace.