In Memory of Regina and Recovery for Her Family

My name is Alexsa Sarsano and on August 9th, 2021 my family experienced an unexpected tragedy - the loss of my mother. My mother battled COVID for 14 long days, accompanied by her lifelong battle with asthma and her recent diagnosis of pancreatitis. After several long trips in and out of the hospital over the last two weeks, my father and sister taking care of her while both sick themselves, and taking care of my elderly grandmother who was also COVID positive, my mother asked to go to the hospital one last time early in the morning on Monday August 9th where she unexpectedly passed later that morning. Although she had been sick for two weeks, you never expect to lose your mother at 21 years old, and my sister Delilah, just barely 18 as her birthday was the day before, a rising senior in high school. My dad is left alone for the first time in 26 years, as long as they have been happily married.

My mother was the kindest person I've ever known. She loved helping people. She helped people she knew well, she helped people she didn't know at all. She loved spending time with her grandson, Zachariah, who turns a year and a half old this month. She loved swimming with her friends at the Woods of PSJ pool and volunteering at Coastal Community Church. She loved taking care of her elderly friends and spending time with her husband and her daughters. She especially loved looking after my grandmother Theresa, who has lived with my parents for many years.

To know my mother was to love her, truly, I have never heard one bad thing about her. She always had a big cheesy smile and an infectious laugh. She loved to make me my "special 'ronis" , any shape of pasta with butter, salt, and parmesan cheese. She loved to come on all school field trips for my sister and I, volunteering many years at Enterprise Elementary School. I remember many years ago, long before COVID and so many restrictions, my favorite days were when she would come visit me to eat lunch and bring my sister along too. She always said "goodnight my angel, I love you" every night until I moved out on my own. My mother would answer any call, any time, to anyone who needed her. She touched so many hearts in 57 years and I am so eternally grateful to call her my mom.

Unfortunately, the nightmare for my family does not end. My grandmother Theresa, 88 years old, has also been battling COVID for 2 weeks. She has been in the hospital for now four days. We are optimistic that she will make a strong recovery, but unfortunately this also means breaking the news to her that we have lost my mother, something we have been avoiding so far to avoid sending her into any state of panic or potential heart attack. My mother was my grandmother's best companion since her husband died many years ago, and has taken care of her since she moved here to Florida from New York. Bringing my grandma home will bring many adjustments to my dad's home including medical equipment and possibly need for home health care.

This tragedy has and will result in many weeks of lost wages for my dad, medical bills and needs for medical equipment, a memorial for my mother, and so many other unexpected expenses that are so stressful for our family right now.

Any donations will go to household expenses for my dad and medical expenses for my grandmother as well as any accommodating adjustments that have to be made. Any remaining funds will be donated to my mother's favorite charity.

My family is thankful to this strong community more than we can explain. We never expected the outpour of support and prayers we have received from every angle. God bless everyone.