Help With Funeral Expenses for Jessica

Hi, my name is Tom Stiller. I am raising money on behalf of the family of Jessica Smith, specifically her mother, Karletta Smith, as the family goes through the difficult impending loss of their sister and daughter. Jessica was diagnosed with autism at 16 months and had persistent seizures from the moment of her birth, struggling on and off with several medical conditions over the years. Being in and out of the hospital was not uncommon to the Smith family. Karletta, Jessica's mother, served the role of fierce advocate, secretary, social worker, loving and caring mother, cook, and primary caregiver to Jessica, as well as to her other nonverbal autistic son and higher functioning autistic daughter. She is known by many doctors and providers as a fighter for Jessica and her children. As a behavioral support specialist who worked with Jessica for years, I formed a tight bond with Jessica and Karletta. Karletta has struggled with paying bills but has always figured out how to make ends meet, never taking a day off to ensure they could have the best life she could afford.

Last summer, Jessica's health took a turn for the worse, her seizure activity ramped up, and she started losing weight. After several grueling weeks of being bedside and going through bloodwork, doctors at Allegheny General Hospital and Children's decided to send her home on hospice. In the last week her condition has worsened even more. Hospice has brought in a bed, taken Jessica off her anticonvulsants, and established regular visits by a nurse. It has pained me to watch Karletta have to shoulder the burden of losing her daughter by herself, with few supports, when she has already struggled for so long by herself. She is already struggling to make her mortgage payments and now has to watch her daughter pass and then pay for the urn and funeral expenses. I convinced Karletta to set this up because I know the generosity of people. Let's come together for Jessica.