Our beloved mother Carolyn Gilmore was the heart and soul of our family. She raised three children as a single mother and was helping to raise her one cherished granddaughter. She was a proud military veteran who made lifelong friendships during her service years. For the last twenty plus years, Carolyn has also been a pillar of the community, touching the lives of all the families she loved and helped to grow through her daycare.

To our devastation, our mother suffered and ultimately succumbed to a debilitating medical condition. It progressed so quickly that we had no time with her to prepare for this in any way, emotionally or practically.

We have no words to convey the depth of our collective grief and shock. She has been our rock and we are utterly bereft without her guidance. She was still young, and had many plans and dreams for her future.

While all we can try to do is put the pieces of our lives back together, any form of support anyone is willing to give would be a blessing. All funds received would go towards her celebration of life, as well as the financial burden that has unexpectedly fallen to us in this time. This also includes medical and legal fees. Additionally, we would like to keep the home she raised us in and where she built her business. Without some immediate help to keep her bills on track, this will be a struggle, too.

No amount that anyone would be willing or able to donate is too small, especially in these times when many people are in a similar situation. Even if all you have to offer is a prayer, we are covering her and our family with those as well. If you feel compelled to donate or share this link, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

We will miss our mom and Yaya every moment for the rest of our lives. Although we know she would not have wished to leave us like this, we know that her greatest joy has been realized as she is resting now in the arms of Jesus, which is what she always said she was looking forward to. Thank you for taking the time to read this post, even if that’s all you can do. God bless you.