**update**

Thank you so much to everyone who helped and supported us when I originally shared our story. Your kindness meant (and still means) everything.

We’re still hanging in there and doing our best to stay strong. As the months go by, some things are starting to feel a little easier—but every day is still a struggle. Grief is a long, unpredictable process, and we continue to take it one step at a time.

Thankfully, we haven’t had to relocate as I once feared. However, getting the house organized and adjusting to all the changes without my mom has been incredibly challenging. It’s still very much one day at a time around here.

Thank you again for keeping us in your thoughts. Your continued support and encouragement are helping us move forward, slowly but surely.

Since starting work at the beginning of 2025, I’m no longer eligible for government assistance—but I’m still not receiving any child support. I’ve recently reached the end of the legal process regarding my separation from Savannah’s father, and the parenting plan is established. Despite working hard, my financial situation remains unstable, and I haven’t been able to save for a vehicle.

Savannah started kindergarten and is doing well. We originally planned to homeschool, but life had other plans. Without a reliable car, getting her to and from school—and managing daily responsibilities—will continue to be incredibly difficult.

I’m reaching out, again, in hopes of raising enough for a vehicle. I’m also in need of help with all the essentials that come with being a single mother of a school age child—supplies, clothing, and everything Savannah needs to adjust to this big change in her routine. Starting school is a huge step, and I want to make sure she has every opportunity to thrive—not just in the classroom, but also through any extracurricular activities or classes that can help her grow during this important stage of her childhood.

Anything you can contribute helps more than you know. Even sharing this post can make a difference.

Thank you for your continued love, support, and prayers.

***************

It is with the deepest sorrow that I share the passing of my mother, Sharon Queen Zapka, on October 31st, 2024. Words truly fail to express this loss. She was my mother, my best friend, a beloved grandmother, and a friend to many. She leaves behind her three grandchildren—Savannah (4), Alaysia (18), and Kylah (20)—as well as her three children, extended family, and countless friends.

Sharon had been battling precancerous conditions and chronic health issues for many years. Through it all, she fought with incredible strength and grace. Her heart, however, couldn’t withstand the complications of fluid buildup and ongoing heart disease. She passed peacefully at Holston Valley Hospital in Kingsport, TN—the same hospital where she was born.

Sharon was our rock—without her, we are now facing an overwhelming amount of emotional and financial strain. I’m doing everything I can to hold things together, but I simply can’t do it alone.

Sharon donated her body to East Tennessee State University’s Anatomical Gift Program, in hopes that her life can help future medical students learn and perhaps one day find treatments for the illnesses she faced—including PBC (Primary Biliary Cholangitis) and serious heart conditions. It will take years before we receive her ashes back, but her gift was selfless and typical of who she was: always thinking of others.

I have yet to hear of the results of her donation.