Help Us Honor a Resilient Woman's Legacy

Honoring My Mom, A Lifelong Caregiver

My name is Tiffanee Buffalo, and I am the daughter of an incredible woman who showed unwavering strength and dedication throughout her life. I was with my mom every step of the way through her battle with cancer—attending doctor’s appointments, helping with surgery decisions, and being there to comfort her during chemotherapy. In her final days, I stayed by her side until her last breath.

My mom, from what I know of her, was fiercely independent. She always found a way to do things herself, even when life presented its toughest challenges. She struggled for much of her life, often alone, but you’d never know it from how much she loved to work and help people. Her true passion was nursing, and she continued working as a nurse until her body could no longer keep up. Even when she needed a portable oxygen tank, she pushed through, determined to keep helping others. Her resilience was so admirable that her doctor approved her request to work despite the challenges. This year, in April, she finally acknowledged that working was making her more ill, so she shifted her focus to getting better, hoping to return. She never officially retired—working was her life’s mission.

My mom was diagnosed with bile duct cancer in January of 2020. She successfully underwent surgery to remove it from her kidney and bile duct. Shortly after, she was hospitalized with COVID-19 during the worst time—the early days of the pandemic. She survived that, only to suffer a heart attack a few months later, and she survived that, too. Unfortunately, the cancer returned and spread. Despite her doctor's best efforts, another surgery wasn’t possible due to recurring pneumonia. Through it all, my mom never complained and never lost hope. But in the end, it became too painful, and she accepted that it might not get better.

We are raising funds to cover her funeral and burial costs. While my mom had two life insurance policies, one will not pay due to a pre-existing condition, and the other hasn’t matured yet, leaving us with no financial coverage. My brother and I are all she had, and we want to honor her in a way that reflects who she was—a hardworking, loving, and resilient woman.

We would be deeply grateful for any donations or for sharing this campaign with others who might be able to help. Thank you for your kindness and support during this incredibly difficult time.