Mama's Memorial Service

My mother Donna was the closest thing to a real life superhero that I have ever known. She was selfless, resilient, brave beyond words, and radiated nothing but light, love, and laughter wherever she went. She was an angel, a goddess, and a warrior. After eight years of battling several different types of cancer back to back, my mother's fight finally ended five days ago. This has been the longest week of my family's lives, and although we are a rough and tough and prideful bunch, the time has come for me to finally ask for help. 


Yesterday we buried my mother, and were fortunate enough to be able to get services together last minute, and they were beautiful. I am very proud of the way in which my father organized her send-off. Unfortunately, while my father had a life-insurance policy for my mother, it did not go through as expected, and we had to fund the entire process out of pocket and on credit. My family and I are now in a large amount of debt, and are currently scrambling to get our bearings in a strange new world without our mother.


My parents have been together for 37 years. They met while working in a Key Food on 86th street in Coney Island. He was in his first year of college, she was in her last year of high school, he was the new stock boy at the store, and she knew that he was the one for her. To say that my father has now hit the hard reset button on his life is an understatement. Our family is trying our hardest, and are figuring out how to come together emotionally and financially, but are still unsure just how to do that. My father is the definition of a hard working man, and has kept our home as well as our building running for almost 40 years.Everything that he has done in his life has been for my mother and his children. While he is now obsessively worrying about taking care of us, filling the roles of both mom and dad for a family of seven, he is not even allowed the proper time to grieve, and so we are trying to figure out how to take care of him. 


Any money contributed will help to relieve the financial burden of the memorial services that my father had to figure out how to finance last minute, and ease the balance we have had to take out on credit.
Every dollar will go towards paying off:
-The burial plot (which by itself was $10,000), headstone, casket and decorations, the funeral parlor and prayer services, and all of the legal fees and paperwork.

It will help keep my family a little more sane, and put a little more food on the table while we attempt to re-balance the books and get our home up and running again. It will keep the water running, the house warm, and our puppies fed and healthy.
To lose a mother, a caretaker, a wife, a business partner, and the love of your life is a lot for the soul to take. My dad ensured that my mom received the proper send-off, no matter what it cost him, physically, emotionally, and financially. Her legacy, love, and loyalty is something that he made sure was honored in the most respectful manner. I would now like to help make the rest of his life easier.  

My family is already overwhelmed by the amount of support shown by our loved ones and our community  during this time. I know that I have personally never felt this much appreciation and gratitude in my entire life. I ask that those who find themselves able to help, please consider donating even a dollar. Every dollar, every penny counts, as cliche as that sounds.


Donna Dinanno Gaweda was the fiercest, funniest, strongest, most charismatic and loving angel and warrior. I have been truly blessed with my 22 years guided by the world's greatest mom. This world became a better place just by knowing her. I will continue to do my best to live life to the fullest, becoming the best version of myself, in her honor. Everything that I do, and that my family does now, is for her. Thank you for everything.