In Memory of Grace Lee

I never thought this day would come.   If I went first I would expect my BFF Grace to make a gofundme page for me. . .  So here I am making one for her.    About the main photo...  This photo was a candid photo from my birthday.  Everyone was trying to play with Oliver.  Grace runs up and snatches Oliver and yells get away from my baby!  

I met Grace way back when she was 16.  I was 19 and just moved to Kansas.    Her first impressions of me, she hated me.   As the years pass I still lived in the area, I would check up on her to see if she was doing alright.   She moved to New York and Los Angeles and I would still check on her see if she was doing alright.  It came more of a once a year thing just to make sure we were alive.   She ended up in Kansas City again and once I again,  I would run into her while out or message her to see if she was doing alright.   I moved away.  We still kept in-touch once a year.   One day she called me up out of the blue and said she was broke and hungry and hasn't ate in three days.   I ordered her Papa Johns and had it delivered to her apartment.  Months later I was making a trip to Kansas City and I called her when I got there.  

"Hey I'm in town, if you want to come back to the Carolina's with me I'm leaving Sunday." 

"Nah, I'm good I don't think I really want to leave" she replied.

5 hours later she called me saying she was getting arrested and might need me to pick her up.   At that point she decided she was going to the Carolina's with me for a month to see how a new life would be.

Upon arrival Grace decided she never wanted to go back to her old life.  The trees, the mountains, the fresh air, and the nice people got her to stay.  While working at my family restaurant an opportunity came up for her to train to be a sushi chef in Torrance, CA.

She enjoyed life, living well after leaving the life she left behind.  She had a son Oliver in 2017.   They lived with my family on our property with a view of the mountain from their porch.   Grace, Oliver, and Dunkin were apart of our family.   

So what happened?    She was fine and well.  At the beginning of the year she was ill of some virus and pneumonia and was in the hospital one week after another.  Could have been Covid?

Two weeks ago my family called and said Grace was in the hospital.  Grace called me three days after and said she was in the hospital because she had kidney failure.  Covid test came back negative and she would be home soon.   Dunkin had three seizures and wasn't responsive and she check out of the hospital early.  Poor Dunkin has been holding on all these years taking care of Grace.  He has cataract in both eyes and the three seizures caused the left side of his face to droop.  



Grace's health was in bad shape.  She was diabetic.  She was on anti-depressants.  She was on what ever they gave her for her kidney issues.  She should have stayed in the hospital longer.  I honestly don't know if she was telling the truth about everything.  She would usually fess up later down the road.  

I setup this gofundme for my BFF Grace.  The funds will go towards her final expenses and get her mom here from Las Vegas.  Anything left over will go into Bitcoin for Oliver when he turns 18.  I'll give him along with a box of things that I'll collect from their place when I clear it out.  

Grace and I spoke about where Oliver would go if she were to pass.  She says Oliver's father will accept responsibility.   If anything Oliver is already apart of my family forever.  Dunkin has been hanging on barely for years and now his duty is fulfilled if he goes in the next week I'll find one of his favorite spots to put him on the property. 

I miss you Grace.  Love you.   

RIP  06/05/87  -  07/19/20