Hi friends & family,

I’m reaching out to everyone because my grandma, Ana Comeque Claros (aka Nanay), passed away last night. She lives in the Philippines and we received the news late last night/early this morning.

I don’t talk about my private life often unless you really know me, but my family is going through a really tough time right now. While I was growing up, both my parents worked two jobs just to make ends meet and give me the blessed life that I have now.

Now, they’re dropping everything and taking a last-minute trip to the Philippines (22 hrs of flying, 3 hrs of a boat ride, & 6 hrs of driving; 3 days of traveling total to get to my mom’s home city) to take care of funeral arrangements for Nanay.

If you’re not familiar with the Philippines, it’s a third-world country and resources there are very very scarce. I had the privilege of going there last year to celebrate Nanay’s 80th birthday with family I haven’t seen since I was 2yrs old and meet cousins I had never met before. I truly understood what “culture shock” meant. Where a hot shower, plumbing, TOILET PAPER is a luxury.

My parents and siblings send money to our family in the Philippines when we can, but the cost of living in America doesn’t leave us with much to send.

I am asking my friends and family if they can spare anything to help my family while we scramble together what we have to offset the costs and stress of my family during this time so we can give Nanay the funeral she deserves and for us to celebrate her life and the family she created for us. Every penny counts, and we are grateful for it all.