Help Fernando's Family in Their Time of Grief

Hello, my name is Jennifer Kearney and I have had the joy of being great friends with Fernando Ayala, Maria Paredes' son since 1999. I have a unique perspective of being able to share all the wonderful qualities Fernando and his brothers share since I have been blessed with a long lasting friendship with Fernando. They are a tight knit family with so much love for one another and incredible support for their parents. As Maria aged, she has had some difficult health challenges including mobility issues due to an aneurysm which family came together to made adjustments to their homes to accommodate her needs. Maria had recently developed dementia which her son's have juggled their schedules, to keep her active within the community while keeping her safe. Another quality that the family shares is humbly taking care of their family without asking for any assistance or help whether it be the offering of someone's time, service and especially any financial help. With ease and gentle approach, they have given me the permission to establish this GoFundMe.

I am sadly sharing that the family recently lost their beautiful matriarch, Maria. As shared, Maria suffered with dementia which caused her to become confused as well as wander from her family home. On March 15, 2025, even with all the percautions the family has put into place, Maria unfortunately eloped from her family home with her walker and wandered into the westbound lanes of Clinton Avenue around 5:30a.m. where she was hit be a motorist. Unfortunately life saving measures were unable to be performed as she succumbed to her injuries before medical providers were on scene.

I am asking for friends of the family to open their hearts to offer prayers of comfort for the family and if possible, assist the family financially so they can comfortably lay their dear Maria to rest. We are hoping to fund raise enough for her services so the family does not have to stress on the financial burden burying a loved one costs. We want them to be able to grieve peacefully without any additional stressors. Thank you for your love, prayers and generosity to the family.

https://abc30.com/videoClip/16040759/