Hi, my name is Jen and I am trying to raise funds to help lay my mom to rest. I have to raise $14,000 to pay the funeral home for a viewing and funeral by October 1st. My mom was a fighter from the beginning. My dad passed away when I was 8 years old, and she spent the rest of her life as a single mom. It was always just the two of us. Me and her up against the world.

 

 

 

 

She fought so hard for everything in her life. She was the youngest of her family and immigrated to America from the Philippines alone. She was never scared and because she was never scared, I felt like I could be strong just by following her example. We always dealt with being poor, and yet, her body also caused her a lot of pain. From having many health problems including a kidney transplant, diabetes, neuropathy, and interstitial lung disease which caused scarring on her lungs and made it so she had to be connected to an oxygen tank or concentrator 24 hours a day. To other health problems, including her diagnosis of Stage 4 lymphoma last month. She fought so hard every step of the way. I miss her so much. I won't be the same without her, but I’m so relieved her body will not cause her pain in this life anymore. She passed away on September 9th, from septic shock and aspiration pneumonia that she could not recover from, and took her from me in just a few hours.

 

 

 

 

 

When I was born, my dad was scared he would lose either or both of us due to a high risk pregnancy, so my mom was in the delivery room alone and brought me into the world by herself. I made sure it was just the two of us when it was time for her to leave. I held her tight and she went out listening to “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver, and “How Deep is Your Love,” “Rhinestone Cowboy” and “Unchained Melody,” songs we played in the car with my dad all the time when I was a child. And as she slipped away, I told her that I would find a way to be okay.

 

 

 

 

My mom was my morning, noon, and night. She was my everything. My ending and beginning. No one has made me laugh as much as my mom. And when I missed her calls sometimes, she would say “Don’t act like you have no one who worries about you.” I’ll carry that love with me forever. She took me to horror movies when I was too young to get into R rated movies, even though she watched them with her hands over her eyes the entire time. She waited outside arenas to buy me tickets to see *NSYNC because I loved them. When I got into emo and goth music, she went into Hot Topic to help me buy Nirvana, AFI, and My Chemical Romance shirts, even though she did not understand my new look at all. And up until the end, she listened to Harry Styles and watched BTS and K-pop videos in the hospital with me, to cheer her up and so we could bond over something together. She taught me how to be welcoming and hospitable to everyone I meet. She showed me how endless love is and how limitless your patience can be. It pains me to know that I don’t have the means to lay her to rest in the way she deserved.

 

 

 

 

The expenses for her funeral and viewing are over $14,000. Her viewing at Glen Abbey mortuary and cemetery in San Diego is scheduled for October 6th and 7th, but I must have all expenses paid at least 72 hours in advance. I'm hoping that by October 1st, I will have enough time to prepare the payment. I will keep the fundraiser up and any other donations beyond the funeral will be used to make sure I'm okay taking care of rent and other expenses, now that she is gone and I am alone. I will be in charge of this fundraiser. If you have the means, any donations would be appreciated. Please help me honor my mom’s memory and give her the funeral she deserves. Please help me take her home. Thank you so much.