At 4:54am, my world shattered in an instant the moment I picked up that phone call from my dad. My mom, my protector, my safe place, my everything was involved in a devastating, fatal car accident. One moment she was here, dreaming and planning for what she wanted to do for her birthday this Sunday, December 7th… and the next, she was gone. Nothing prepares you for a loss like this. Nothing prepares you to literally get woken up and realize the person who held your family together with pure love will never walk through the door again.

What makes this even more heartbreaking is what she had just accomplished. After years of sacrifice and struggle, she finally bought a home, not only for herself but for me and my sisters. This was the place she prayed would give us comfort, and a future she never had. She was so proud and I was so proud of her. Now we are standing in the home she worked so hard for, trying to figure out how to move forward without her… and how to carry the weight of funeral expenses, medical bills, and all the financial responsibilities she left behind.

We should be focused on grieving. We should be holding each other. But instead, we’re trying to navigate a world without her while facing costs that no family should ever face alone. We’re asking for help. Humbly, painfully, and with all the gratitude in our hearts. Any amount, no matter how small, makes a difference. Your support helps us give our mom the beautiful goodbye she deserves. It helps us stay in the home she sacrificed everything to give us. It helps us breathe again.