In Loving Memory of Ayako Akimoto: Support for Funeral

Hello, my name is Miyuki Tamie Toyama, and I am the daughter of Ayako Akimoto. With a heavy heart, I am reaching out to share the loss of my incredible mother and to ask for your support during this difficult time.

Our family has faced significant challenges over the years, but we’ve always remained strong and close. In 2001, when I was 14, we lost our father, Kenji Akimoto, at the age of 51. My brothers, Ryo (24 at the time) and Hayato "Tim" (22), and I have carried that loss with us throughout our lives, but our mother, Ayako, was the glue that held us all together. She worked hard alongside our father to provide for us, and after his passing, she dedicated herself to raising us with love and strength.

In 2023, our mother was diagnosed with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), a rare and degenerative disease that gradually restricted her ability to perform even the simplest daily tasks. Despite her own suffering, she took on the responsibility of caring for her mother, our beloved grandmother, for over 10 years, until it became too difficult for her to care for herself.

In October 2024, as her condition worsened, our mother was placed in hospice care, where she was able to live her life to the fullest, as much as possible, under the loving care of my brother Hayato. He took on the primary responsibility of being her caregiver and remained by her side through this difficult time. Ryo visited often, offering support and love to both our mother and Hayato. I made it a point to spend as much time as I could with her, bringing along her younger grandchildren—my son, Shun, who is now 6, and my daughter, Nanami, who is 4. They loved their “Ah-tan” deeply, and she found so much joy in being with them. They brought light to her final years, and it meant the world to her to see her grandchildren thriving. Along with my son and daughter, Ryo’s daughter, Kayleen (25), also played a central role in her life, and she, too, was a source of love and comfort for Ayako.

Now, after losing our mother, we are asking for your support to help cover the costs of her funeral service and burial. Any contribution, no matter the amount, will help us honor and lay to rest a woman who dedicated her life to taking care of others, especially her family.

We are so grateful for the love and care our mother gave us throughout her life, and we want to ensure she is remembered with the dignity and respect she deserves.

Thank you for your kindness, your support, and your generosity during this incredibly difficult time. Your help will ease the burden of this loss and allow us to give our mother a proper farewell.

With heartfelt gratitude,
Ryo Akimoto, Hayato Akimoto and Miyuki Toyama