My mom, Darby Parson, was only 62 when she passed away, and it was incredibly unexpected. She had been in the hospital with pneumonia, but after a tough fight, she was on the mend and even off the ventilator. The doctors were preparing to discharge her, but suddenly she experienced severe stomach pain. They moved her back to the ICU for emergency surgery, where they discovered her PEG tube had been leaking, causing a septic infection. Just two days later, she was gone.

Darby was the youngest in her family, with an older brother and sister who are still here. I live in Phoenix, where she passed at St. Joseph's ICU, while my two younger sisters live out of state and couldn't make it in time to say goodbye. Darby spent most of her adult life in Cottonwood, AZ, working as a dog groomer. She had a special gift with animals, and her customers cherished her for the care and love she gave their pets. Sadly, she didn't have any savings or life insurance, so I'm left to cover all the costs myself.

I need help covering the costs for cremation, finding an urn—ideally one large and five smaller ones so her siblings, my sisters, and I can each keep a piece of her—and traveling to Oklahoma to lay my mom to rest with her mom. Times are tough for everyone, but any help anyone can spare will mean the world to me. I plan to recognize donors for their generosity, and your support will help me honor Darby's memory and give her the peaceful resting place she deserves.