Hi, I’m Keisha and I’m my mother Geraldine, aka GiGi’s, eldest daughter. I’m here to raise money for my mother’s funeral after her unexpected passing.

I would like to start with my mother’s diagnosis of cancer of the throat in 2023, which she received on my little sister's birthday, August 29, 2023. My mother underwent surgery, which consisted of the doctors removing part of her lower face and all of her teeth to get to her throat to remove the cancer. The surgery lasted 23 hours, during which my sister and I waited patiently in the waiting room, thirsty and hungry, scared to go get something to eat or drink because we didn’t want to miss the doctor’s call when she was out of surgery.

When my mother was finally out of surgery, she was unrecognizable with so many tubes and IVs. It was hurtful to see her like that, but by the grace of God, she pulled through. My mother had been on a journey to recovery from October 2023 to January 2024 when she received her certificate of completion from radiation. They waited three months to confirm she was cancer-free. She received speech therapy, physical therapy, and was left with mental therapy on her own. Recovery had its ups and downs; she had several trips to the hospital, but she made it through each and every one.

The last trip was two months ago when she received a diagnosis for vertigo, and she came home using a walker. She has never been the same since. If you knew my mother like we knew her, she would not want anyone to see her in that condition where she had to walk with a walker. Before these two months, my mother was walking blocks, down hills, up hills, getting her strength back, gaining weight, and on the road to recovery and independence where she wanted to go out and live on her own again.

Whoever thought I’d get a phone call from my 18-year-old stating my 12-year-old found his grandmother unresponsive this morning? I know this was devastating to him because he was her right-hand man. He walked to the store with her. He made sure she was OK. He loved his grandma, aka GiGi, aka May May.

I ask if you can donate anything to contribute to her funeral costs so she can have a proper burial and go home in peace. I would greatly appreciate it. God, please cover all of us through this journey.