Mom of 6 loses battle to Cancer (Chef Keysha G)

On August 4th 2023, approximately 7am the youngest son Jaquez (17), woke up to check on our mother Keysha. Unlike every other morning when Jaquez said "good morning mommy" there was no response. His heart fell out his chest and he yelled from the top of his lungs for his older brother Jarius, and ran upstairs to get his older sister Aalyiah, as he couldn't believe that moment would change his life forever. Once all three gathered by her bedside, confusion, chaos, and agony ensued. Jarius screamed "momma" picked her up and tried to perform CPR. While Jarius was holding our lifeless mom, Aaliyah touched her arm and at that moment she knew she was gone.

Being the oldest isn't easy, especially when you're the first to always get the call. Never would I have thought in a thousand years I would get a facetime from my moms phone with my three youngest siblings screaming In distress "Nate she's not waking up"! At first I didn't know how to respond, and I always have the answer. I had to think quickly and keep a calm mind. In disbelief I said "let me see her". I instantly put on the role of big brother. I took a deep breath and instructed them to get on the bed where my mom laid and I began to pray. I initially thanked God for having such an amazing mother, after the prayer, the feeling of peace surrounded my family, but more needed to be done. The next step was calling 911 and my other two siblings Ariona and Devin. There's never a perfect way to deliver news about death, "Moms gone" were the only words I could express to my siblings. It was too hard to hear the shock in Arionas voice. She had the same reaction as myself. Our feelings were in sync. She instantly hung up and called the younger siblings. Devin felt conflicted, battling relief and anger. Relieved she was no longer fighting cancer and angry she was no longer here.

Who is Keysha? To know her was to love her. I thought everyone had a good mom because we had a great example of an amazing mother. Not only was she our mom but she was a self proclaimed mother to the motherless, a sister to the sisterless, and a friend to everyone. She met no strangers. She was faith driven and her relationship with God opened her ministry to the world. There were no bounds to her love and generosity for others. It was unconditional. Whether it was opening our home to families in need, feeding the homeless, or having us sing at the nursing home every second Saturday, she used her talents to uplift others and taught us to do the same. Her voice was her biggest gift. When she opened her mouth, lives changed. To have a conversation with Keysha left you with the Keys to any situation you were facing. Although she didn't have everything she instilled in us that anything is attainable. Being a single mother of 6 she made sure we had what we needed as the primary provider. God was her first love followed by her children. She also had a passion for traveling, teaching, and of course being the great chef she was. Reflecting back, I'm reminded of the stories and pictures of the gourmet meals she prepared, cooking for locals and celebrities like Johnny Depp and the Queen of England. Her talents took her all over the world. In 2016 she started working for Escambia County High School, of Atmore AL, as a culinary arts teacher where she shared her talents with students, creating everlasting bonds and skills that they could carry with them the rest of their lives.

Christmas 2021 was our first sign that something was wrong. During Christmas dinner, mom started feeling unwell stating her stomach was hurting. We didn't think much of it until the next morning when the pain became too unbearable for her to speak. We promptly rushed her to the hospital and after several hours we were given the devastating news that she had stage 4 colon cancer. Her battle began with an emergency surgery removing a tumor and part of her colon. After which she traveled to Fort Lauderdale to attempt a holistic treatment, followed by chemo when she returned home. Although there were positive effects, her body rejected the treatments. She exhausted her options for health but the cancer continued to metastasize. She continued to live by faith from God, and the strength of her children kept her going. Initially she was given 6 months to live but exceeded the report and fought 18 months with great strength.

My mom became a beloved member of every community she touched throughout the world. We’re not only dealing with the pain of the loss of our mother, but also numerous financial responsibilities. There are many expenses known and unknown that must be taken care of. Some of these expenses include our youngest brother's senior high school dues and first year college expenses. Relocating and housing cost, as well as unpaid debts that were left behind. Due to her inability to keep up with her life insurance policy, it lapsed, and when we went to reinstate, she was no longer eligible due to her condition. We hope that someday that will change and policies will still be approved.

We understand that she is now one of our angels watching over us. Thank you for your continued prayers and we appreciate your support.