Help Give Shavonda's Daughter a Dignified Farewell

My name is Shavonda, and I’m reaching out with a heart heavier than I ever thought possible.

Just days ago, I lost my beautiful daughter to suicide. She was only 19 years old, full of life, love, and laughter. If you ever met her, you’d remember her smile — it could light up a room, even on the darkest day. She was the happiest girl I knew… or so I thought. What I didn’t see, what I never imagined, was the pain she carried in silence.

I didn’t know my daughter was suffering from depression. I didn’t know how deep her struggles ran until it was too late. That’s the cruel part of mental illness — it hides in smiles and laughter, in busy days and “I’m okay” texts. Mental health is real. It matters. And now more than ever, I understand how important it is to talk, to ask, to listen.

Now, I find myself facing something no parent should ever have to endure — burying my child. I want to give her the peaceful, beautiful farewell she deserves. But the funeral and burial costs have become a burden too great for me to carry alone. I’m short $4,000, and I’m humbly asking for help.

If you find it in your heart to donate, no matter how small, please know it will help give my daughter the dignified goodbye she deserves. And if you can’t give, please share this story — for her memory, and for the many others silently battling the weight of mental illness.

Thank you for taking the time to read. Hold your loved ones a little closer today. And please, let’s never stop talking about mental health.

With gratitude,

Shavonda Edwards