Help Freddie Brown Save Her Home

My name is Kalayah Grant, and I am 24 years old, residing in Miami, Florida. I am determined to raise funds to support my great-grandma, Freddie Brown, who raised me from infancy, and to rescue her deteriorating home. It's a stunning property, but it requires extensive renovations. The house urgently needs a new roof, vent replacements, rewiring, attic decontamination and sanitizing, mold testing, room remodeling, and I firmly believe it requires a complete gutting! This house dates back to 1952.

My grandma has provided incredible love and support to our family, friends, and associates. Unfortunately, she has only had me to rely on for real help. I deeply love my grandma and I am determined to find a way to repay her for everything she has done for our family. I am incredibly grateful for her and my deceased great-grandfather for taking care of me. I have explored every possible resource, and I am committed to finding a solution.

Freddie Brown is an amazing woman, in my opinion. My great-grandma who I often call grandma or mom was born in Wildwood, Florida and is one of 13 siblings, only two of whom are still alive. My grandma worked tirelessly her whole life. She took care of her deceased child ( her only child), took in his two kids, and helped them as much as she could. Later, she extended her help to many of her great-grandchildren, siblings, nieces, nephews, friends, and many more. My grandma was, and still is, a fun, funny, helpful, thoughtful, and loving person!

Ms. Brown worked as a cook, a clean-up woman, and later at Mount Sinai Hospital as a charge nurse and a supervisor. She loved to speak and was a mother of a church where she praised God, made announcements, and gave speeches whenever she could! If you truly know her, you know she still loves to talk and is a vivid storyteller. She is one of the most inspiring and wise women I know. Reminiscing about my grandma, she is also a photographer in her own right. She loved to take pictures and made sure we had plenty of memories to look back on.

Unfortunately, my grandma fell sick about a year ago. She is completely blind now and not able to walk. I'll never forget coming home from work and school at the time; she was stuck in different parts of the house, broke glass while trying to move around, and the final straw was coming home to an unlocked door, only to find her in the corner of my room with half of my stuff knocked over.

It is my grandmother's and my fervent hope and prayer to salvage our family home and secure proper round-the-clock care, realizing my grandmother's dream of returning home. One of the most challenging periods of my life was witnessing my hero's decline and being compelled to care for her without any assistance for almost nine months. In result I was severely depressed, I inverted my spine & had terrible muscle pains. I did not choose this role; it was thrust upon me before my sister was left on our doorstep by my birth mother, who had abandoned me twenty years ago. Shortly after, my brother also came to live with us. I took on the responsibility of caring for my teenage sister, a dog, my brother, my grandmother, and myself. All the while, I was grappling with grief, trauma, work, and the desperate pursuit of completing my education. I ultimately had to give up school and work to physically support my grandmother.

It took me from 2018 to 2024 to finish a two-year degree, and by the grace of God, I did.

I am deeply touched to have walked in the footsteps of giving and helping, just as my grandmother did. However, there comes a time when I must make a difficult choice. My grandmother has generously opened her home to at least eight other people that I am aware of. It's time for her to experience peace and freedom. She truly deserves to live her golden years in happiness and comfort. I have witnessed her unwavering support for me, and now it's my turn to advocate for her... to advocate for us.

I have made the difficult decision to place my grandma in a nursing home, but unfortunately, it has been a nightmare. The care she has received has been subpar. I have plenty of stories of this facility that would blow your mind but my current battle is monitoring and trying to heal her current back scars formed there. Despite my constant efforts, I struggle to get the staff to provide the basic care she needs. I visit her at the nursing home almost EVERY DAY, twice a day, to ensure she is okay, but it never feels like enough. Balancing this with work, managing the household, and taking care of myself has been a huge challenge. I am determined to find a better solution for my grandma.

The situation has been ignored for too long, and now the damages are impossible to ignore. It is time for me to seek help in the only way possible. The house is getting worse due to inaction and the continuous rain, and I need to take decisive action. Currently, the house is in my name, my grandma's, and a great-cousin's. Despite reaching out numerous times, my great-cousin has not helped, made a visit to see my grandma or the house & has not communicated with me properly. I have repeatedly asked for assistance from her and her immediate family, but no one seems willing to get involved. I have considered obtaining a loan, but I cannot proceed without my great-cousin's approval or signature.

The thought of taking out a loan and being in debt for the problems of the house fills me with sadness. I'm young, and I know it will be tough for me to bear this burden. I long for the day when this weight isn't pressing down on me. I want to support my grandma while also finding my own path in life. I wish to lift this veil of uncertainty off our shoulders. I yearn to go back to school and pursue my passions. I want to travel and chase my dreams, I want to travel and follow my dreams of being the next "Alicia Keys" but really the very first me! I have big dreams and I know they will make room for me! My ambitions are significant, and I believe they will lead me to success. My grandma has always recognized my potential, and I know she genuinely desires these things for me. So, yes, I want to prioritize being in good standing with God and my grandma first.

I go by the stage name 35Keys, and one thing Freddie Brown taught me was to show them what I am made of and to use my gifts, just like her. So I will be her eyes, arms, legs, and voice!

More about me & my story here.

www.35Keys.com (Me as an artist)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHrtDstZcqE&t=178s

(Some of my personal story/Meet Freddie Brown)

Please help me spread her story to as many people as you can. Let's work together to bring her back home and ensure that she receives the necessary care at 91 years old. I truly believe that we can bring joy and answered prayers to both of us, but we need assistance. Your support in any form is deeply appreciated!

Lastly, I am going to upload a YouTube video in-depth about the content, including images and more, to avoid confusion. This way, people can see and hear directly from me and my grandma.

Sincerely, Kalayah Grant & Freddie Brown