My mom, Gayle Ann Colvin, passed away after a long and heartbreaking battle with her health on December 6th, 2025 at 10:00pm. She was 72 years old.

She had been admitted to an ICU in Wichita Kansas 2 weeks earlier for pneumonia that she caught while at a temporary nursing facility to finish an antibiotic treatment for a MRSA infection in her legs.

She spent the entirety of November being transferred from hospital to nursing homes, in and out of the ER where they would just dismiss her concerns or tell her to wait for her next appointment, and experiencing the worst pain she ever felt (even with pain meds), feeling scared, lost, confused, and abandoned.

Her MS has limited her abilities over the years, but it wasnt until recently when she developed other health issues that we noticed she may not be aound much longer. The decline started when she got a concussion at her job 3 years ago. She lost her ability to think clearly, make good decisions and have control over her emotions. Because of her age, the workers comp. lawyers degraded her and she wasnt able to fight for the help she needed to recover. She was still actively fighting the workers comp case when she passed away.

About 2 years ago, after losing a job she adored that gave her purpose in life because of her concussion; she felt the need to start fresh in a new town in Kansas, closer to me. She rushed the process and ended up getting scammed by a home buyer company, lost a lot of money, and quickly moved into a house that was not suitable to her needs because she wanted to get out of her current town as soon as possible.

She quickly became unable to take care of herself, her health or handle the responsibilities of living alone. My brother and I tried to help as much as we possibly could, but I was in school trying to get my bachelors degree and my brother had just finished his degree and was maintaining a full-time schedule at his new job.

During this time she was getting settled in Kansas, she developed small ulcers on her calves from Venous Insufficiency Disorder that she would not be properly diagnosed or treated for until almost 2 years later.

I have spent the last 6 months coordinating new care providers and treatment plans to help her heal her wounds. She finally discovered she had a MRSA infection in her wounds and was placed on in-patient antibiotics at the beginning of January. She spent the first week in the hospital and the second week in a temporary nursing home. She complained to the nursing staff before being discharged that she felt like she had pnuemonia since she had caught it before. They didnt take the complaint seriously or order anyg tests or follow ups to rule it out.

She finished her treatment on the 19th of November and stayed with me in Kansas City over the weekend. We were feeling really good about the progress she was making. We even were finally able to get her consultation with a vein doctor to permantently heal her wounds. All she dreamed of was to regain the ability to use her legs, not have to wrap them several times a day or be in constant pain and not feel shunned by society for having wounds that were unsightly. The appointment to do the vein procedure was going to be in January...

She went back to her home in Kansas that Saturday. Monday night I got the call from my father ,who had moved into my mom's place to be her caretaker, that she was in lots of pain, crying, and very delirious. We begged her to go to the ER and she eventually did. They immediately intubated her for a dangerously low oxygen saturation and then transferred her to Wichita.

For the next 2 weeks she never fully regained consciousness and showed no signs of improvement. We tried to remain positive that she was at least not getting worse. On Saturday, December 6th around 9:00pm, I got the call that her heart had stopped beating. It took them 10 minutes to regain it...

I was her POA and while on the phone with the doctor discussing next steps and possible outcomes, she flatlined again. I heard the sounds of the alarms in the background. I was driving as quickly as I could to Wichita while also reaching out to my brother and my Dad about what might happen next. I didnt want to have to tell them they could stop CPR, but it took them 20 additional minutes to get a pulse again and it only lasted 2 minutes. I knew I had no choice. My mom passed away only 1 hour later. I couldn't wrap my mind around it.

While trying to process the immense and sudden grief of losing our mom far sooner than we hoped. We found out that she cancelled her life insurance only a month before her death. She couldnt afford the $96/month payment. Like I said earlier, she hadnt been thinking clearly since her concussion years before.

My brother and I are still in our 20's. His 27th birthday was on December 8th, two days after Mom left this earth. Both of us dont have good enough credit to get a loan for her funeral and our family is already so small with limited options or people we can reach out to for help. My mom was in lots of debt before she passed. I had actually quit my job 6 months prior to help take care of my mom more and hopefully be able to start up my own business so I could make my own hours. She didnt haved a notarized will so we are also working with lawyers to figure out all of her possessions.

It's been almost two weeks and we still are struggling to find a funeral home and cemetery that will help us without having the full payment up front. My dad's job was taking care of my mom, so he now also doesn't have an income either.

My mom sacrificed so much for her family. She had so many more things she wanted to accomplish before she died. She was the kindest, most generous and selfless person I have ever met. She spent so much time talking to random people in stores who looked like they needed a hug or to express their feelings. We had this tradition of carrying dog leashes in her car when I was little just in case we ran into a stray animal that was dumped and needed rescued. She always forced me to take her money even when she needed it more than me. I recently made the joke to her that she would cut her own arm off immediately and hand it to me if I even murmured that I wish I had another arm to complete tasks. She laughed so hard and said I was right.

Our biggest wish now that she is gone is that she will never be forgotten. She was the "community mom" when Ian and I were in high school and loved playing hostess when our friends came over. As a therapist she touched so many lived that we will never know about. I know that she will live on forever in the lives of the people who loved her. I promised her I would continue living as bravely and wildly as she did in her honor and memory. She deserves to have her name remembered and to be cherished for the angel on earth that she was.

All funds will be used to help support Gayle and her immediate family's expenses during this really challenging time. Here is a non-exhaustive list of anticipated expenses: