My name is Monica Jones. My very dear friend Stephanie just lost her only child, Saniyah. I have known Stephanie and Saniyah since she was 6. I coached Saniyah for 7 years cheering at Lawrenceville Youth Association (LYA). I love them both and want to ease the financial burden placed on Stephanie to provide a proper funeral and burial for Saniyah. Please keep Stephanie and her family in your prayers.

A word from Stephanie:

This has been the most difficult journey of my life. My daughter Saniyah R Thomas was only 16 years old when she left this world far too soon to be with her Heavenly Father. She was a beautiful, loving soul who struggled quietly with mental illness — something that is affecting so many of our youth today.

As parents, many of us are not fully educated or equipped to recognize the signs, symptoms, and triggers of mental health struggles until it’s too late. My precious daughter was overcome by depression, and in her pain, she made a tragic decision that ended her life.

Because of the nature of her passing, our insurance will not cover the cost of her funeral. This has left me heartbroken and financially unable to provide the service and resting place that she deserves. She was just a child — full of potential, light, and love — and she deserves to be remembered with dignity and grace.

I am humbly asking for your help. Any donation, no matter the amount, will go toward giving her the farewell she deserves and allowing this grieving mother to lay her daughter to rest in peace.

Thank you for your love, prayers, and support during this unimaginably painful time.

Stephanie Thomas