Help me raise the money to bury my mother!

Hi, my name is Selena Freeman. I am the only child of Helena M. Jackson. On January 11th my mother passed away, suddenly and unexpectedly. Her two grandchildren and I, along with the rest of her family are absolutely devasted. My mother was 66 years old, in very good shape, with no pre-diagnosed illnesses or impairments. Her 67th birthday was approaching this coming February.

I am still in shock, still in a state of disbelief. I go in and out of consciousness, still trying to process this nightmare we are in... still reluctant to accept it. On November 9th, my mother had a tooth removal performed by a licensed dentist in Beverly Hills which turned into a tooth infection within the span of 6 weeks. She tried to rebook a follow up appointment and was awaiting a date. She sought out other dentist but was denied medical coverage because of the previous procedure and would have had to cover the cost out of pocket. Forced to await an available appointment, she took over the counter pain medication.

On December 31st, she complained her tooth pain was even more severe, and by January 2nd, the day of my daughter's 11th birthday, she began to notice swelling around the base of her jawline. She left that day, back home, and on January 3rd, went to Antelope Valley Hospital seeking help, as she was in an extreme amount of pain. The hospital didn't admit her, didn't take additional exams or bloodwork outside of surface observation and she was sent home with the diagnosis of a dental infection, oxycodone and antibiotics. Within the matter of 3 days, the infection morphed into what would later be diagnosed as Ludwig's Angina.

When I rushed to my mother, who resided in Lancaster, my kids and I tried for an hour to get in contact and inside the house. When my mother somehow managed (she was heavily sedated, drooling and barely able to breath) to open the door, I rushed her the Palmdale Hospital, where she was immediately admitted to Emergency Room.

January 5th 2023, would be the last time my mother would be conscious, the last time life as I know it would exist with her. My mother's condition progressively got worse. She had to be intubated, her vital organs started to fail, she was air lifted to Riverside Community Hospital to be treated by an ENT doctor, her vital organs started to give out, her body went septic from the infection, and my mother fought as hard as she could. But after returning from a surgery, she was barely stable enough to enter into in the first place, it was too late, the bacteria had already spread further, and the medical team and antibiotics couldn't get ahead of it. I was given the prognosis that fatality was inevitable. On January 11th, I held my mom as she took her last breath, I had prayed and begged and bargained with God, I had kept hope that the fact that my mom was in peak physical condition would help her overcome the current condition she was in, I never left the hospital and made all the choices I could within my power to give my mom the best chance of survival. But God had other plans.

I have never felt more pain and heartache as I do now. My mother was a single mother who raised me by herself. She worked very hard to give me the best opportunities, without the aid of child support, government assistance or any handouts. She was a matriarch in a family of 10, helping and supporting everyone when they needed it, showing up for everyone when there was no one else. My mother was kind, generous and non-judgmental. She had a heart of gold and I miss her every second of every minute of every day, and I didn't appreciate her enough when she was here, and most didn't deserve her light. And the least I can do is send her home with as much beauty and grace and dignity as she had.

Now she is gone, I feel an emptiness and sadness that I cannot bear, but I have two little ones who depend on me, and I cannot breakdown, I cannot falter. That is not what my mom would have wanted, she loved her grandkids SO MUCH! She would basically steal them away, she was always taking them with her for the weekend, always spoiling them, always wanting to be around them. The worst part of this, is that this entire situation was preventable if not for the negligence of the dentist and the dismissal from the first hospital she went to seeking help.

I am asking for help to bury my mother and give her a funeral service/homecoming. I have a small amount of money and am seeking additional funding to cover the funeral cost and expenses for her memorial. Any amount helps. Please share if you can.

God Bless You,

Selena