Mara: a fighter lost in her own battle

Igran (Mara) Fermaint stood 5 feet 4 inches tall, but when you closed your eyes and listened to her voice and felt her energy, you couldn't help but picture a fighter standing over you at 6 feet tall, ready to fight and protect in a heartbeat. Everyone remembers her radiant energy and beautiful smile, but they don't know how difficult her battle with her mental health was.

Life felt dark, and she battled physical and mental pain that has brought her here today. To say she gave up would be an utter lie. She fought until the very end, seeking mental health support just 4 weeks prior, but the system failed her. Although she worked to pay the bills and bring food to the table, it was not enough to pay for life-saving mental health support, as many, if not all, of us know.

Right now, medical bills litter her kitchen table next to an electricity bill she paid in advance. She made sure the home was taken care of, yet she crumbled inside. She was alone, or at least she felt alone, and now we wait to bury her after she took the only path she could think of to end the pain.

But the pain did not end. In fact, it has become worse as we figure out life moving forward, and I know deep in my heart that she did not truly want to leave this earth and her family. She did not want to leave the scars that have been left behind; she just wanted to stop hurting.

Her son (12) and daughter (7) were the first to find her during this tragedy, and her mother was left with the pain of being the first to attempt to save her but not being able to.

We miss her. We ache inside, but we must move forward as we raise her children and keep her name alive. But we can't do this alone as funeral expenses are unbearable. Now, as we raise these children, they have become the priority, but with two priorities weighing so heavily, we reach out to loved ones of the family, loved ones of Mara, and those who want to help keep her memory alive and put her to rest as she deserves.

We ask out of love for this financial support, but if that is not an option, your thoughts for Mara are enough.

Our family is broken. We individually are broken, and only she can glue us back together again.