It breaks my heart to share that my beautiful mom, my best friend, and my greatest source of comfort passed away unexpectedly on Saturday. It was the worst day of my life. She was the person I felt connected to beyond words, beyond time, beyond explanation. There are no words big enough to explain the pain, confusion, and emptiness I feel. Anyone who knew us knows the bond we shared was unlike anything else, and I am forever grateful for every laugh, every conversation, and every memory we created together. I still can't even believe that I'm having to write these words.

To know my mom was to love her. She carried a magic that was impossible to miss. She was warm, wise, hilarious, protective, caring, and so much fun. Her passing is not only devastating for my brothers and me, but also for our entire family, her coworkers, her friends, and the many friends she and I shared. She loved being a safe place, a listener, a healer, and a light for others. The world is dimmer without her, but I know she would want us to love each other a little harder and choose to be a light for others, just like she was for us.

So many of you have reached out asking how you can help us during this difficult time, and we are so grateful for the love and support. We want to honor our mom the way she deserves, with the viewing and celebration of life that she and I talked about many times. As many of you know, arrangements like this can be costly, and because everything happened so suddenly, we were not prepared.

If you feel called to help, any contribution, no matter the size, will mean the world to us and will go directly toward giving our mother the memorial she deserves. Whether you are able to donate, share, or simply keep us in your thoughts and prayers, we are forever grateful.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the love, the support, and the way so many of you loved our mom. She will live on forever through the people she touched and we will continue to make her proud and carry her with us everywhere we go. Thank you for helping us honor her in the way she deserves.

With love,

Alexis, Dae’Shawn, Maliek & Sarandon