On Saturday night, our lives were changed forever.

Around 9:00 p.m., my mom was walking along West Erie Avenue when she was struck by a vehicle. There were kind people who stopped at the scene to help her, and the driver stayed with my mom and waited with her until help arrived. They did not have to do that, and I am deeply grateful that they did. I believe there may have been other bystanders who also stopped to help, and I wish I knew who they were so I could thank them personally. I am incredibly thankful to everyone who tried to help my mother in her time of need.

My mom was transported to Mercy Hospital in Lorain, where she suffered severe injuries, including a traumatic brain injury, massive internal bleeding, and multiple broken bones. While at Mercy Hospital, her heart stopped twice. Each time, medical staff were able to revive her and stabilize her enough to continue fighting.

Due to the severity of her injuries, she was then transported to MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland for a higher level of care. During the transport, her heart stopped for a third time. EMTs performed CPR and life-saving measures for more than 30 minutes, but despite their efforts, my mom did not survive.

We are still trying to process how suddenly and violently she was taken from us.

My mom was a beautiful mama of three girls—me, Amanda, and Vanessa—and a proud grandmother to five beautiful grandbabies who she loved with her whole soul. She was outgoing, bright, and full of life. She talked to everyone she met, loved her neighbors, and never knew a stranger. She had a huge heart, especially for animals. She helped stray animals, fed them regularly, and volunteered her time at the APL a few times. She truly was a beautiful lady inside and out.

My mom was 70 years old and was living on disability. She did not have much financially. Her life changed dramatically after my grandmother passed away on Labor Day in 2024. My mom and grandmother lived together almost her entire life and took care of one another. When my grandma died, my mom lost not only her best friend and support system, but also the financial stability that helped keep her afloat.

Because of this, her life insurance lapsed, and she no longer had coverage.

My mom wished to be cremated, and that is what we are trying to do for her. At the moment, there is an active investigation, and we are waiting for permission to receive her body. Everything feels uncertain and overwhelming.

On top of this, we are now trying to care for her dog and find rescue placements for her two cats. We are facing the painful task of cleaning out her home, where she had fallen two months behind on rent. I haven’t yet been able to speak with her landlord, but I’m hoping we can make arrangements so her belongings are treated with dignity and not simply thrown away.

My sisters and I will need to take time off work to handle arrangements, clean out her home, and figure out what comes next. Right now, we truly don’t know where to start or how to move forward—we are heartbroken, lost, and doing the best we can.

We are asking for help to cover:

If you’ve helped me in the past, please know how deeply grateful I am. This time, I’m asking for my mama.

Any donation, any share, and any kind words mean more than I can express. Thank you for helping us honor her life and give her the dignity she deserves.

With love and gratitude,

Kristy, Vanessa and Amanda