Tragedy left me sibling and 5 pets
Donation protected
My mother died on September 20th 2018 and has left me in the care of a 16 year old (my sister) and her 5 pets.
We are seeking assistance in order to move into a place where I can live with my sister and all of our pets, and to help me ensure that my sister receives the life and education she deserves.
Please see full details on the occurrence and our family below.
Funding Summary - What we need/Ways we can receive help:
* To pay for funeral costs,
* To move to a larger house to accomodate my new household size (Likely First+Last+Deposit).
* To be able to provide for my sister and new pets, and the costs involved with having a teenager who depends on you as well as adding 5 wonderful little animals to our household.
* To ensure my sister and I both have stable and dependable vehicles. We currently drive our mom's old Van and an old car which has left us stranded several times and shuts off while driving - neither vehicle is reliable.
* To give my sister the education she deserves I need to start saving for her tuition - she's already 16 and we have no savings as of yet.
The $6500 goal is an estimate of what I think it would cost only to move to a larger place to fit the household. Any extra funds will be used as shown above. Please remember that these are things I intend to provide for as well moving forward, and we work and are not afraid to work harder - but we were not prepared for this financially.
What happened:
On September 16 2018, the worst time of my life started.
I was awoken by my 16 year old sister that Sunday morning. She lives next door to me with my mom, and she knocked on my door to tell me that mom was face down in the living room and not responding.
I rushed to try and help, and turned my mom on her back. My sister started chest compressions and we called 911.
When rescue arrived, they began defibrillation and managed to recover a pulse, but nobody was sure how long my mother was unable to breathe.
In the hospital, with a pulse, we were told my mother had experienced a cardiac event and was not responding - she was in a coma. The hospital then began cooling my mom for 48 hours in order to have a better chance of recovery (I believe to lower oxygen usage in her brain).
Every torturous day me and my sister maintained hope that she would bounce back. My mom is the strongest person I had ever met and had come back from so much that I knew if such a thing was possible, she would be the one to do it.
After the 48 hours, they began to bring her temperature back up, and gave us the ultimatum that the next day, they would remove my mom's breathing tube and determine whether she was brain dead.
I sat with my mom every day, crying until my face was hot, running my fingers through her hair, letting her know she wasn't alone and that we believed she could come back from this.
On September 20th, 2018, my mom was disconnected from the breathing machine and was pronounced brain dead.
Who we are:
Me - Zeid
I'm 29 years old, and live with my girlfriend Destiny, my cat Nyan and my dog Buggs.
I am making ends meet financially, and can somewhat afford to live in my current small apartment. Me and my girlfriend both work, and are not afraid to work more if needed.
I am not sure how I'm going to make this happen, but I have to find a way to move to a larger place where me and my girlfriend and sister can live with our animals. This is why I started this campaign.
I would rather starve myself than ever get rid of these animals, and as such that is not an option. They are part of our family and they were also the most important beings in the world to my mom.
Mom - Venus
The kindest and most compassionate person I've ever known. She was known around the neighbourhood for feeding all the local strays and helping the local homeless population with food and necessities.
She taught me everything I know. She raised me alone for the most part, and did so the best she could. She would deprive herself of so much to ensure her family had what they needed and wanted. She taught me to give without expecting anything back. She taught me that you should do everything to help another living being, and that nobody is below or above anyone else.
On a typical day my mom would wake up at dawn and head outside. Once outdoors, she would water her plants as well as those of surrounding houses, feed all the birds in the alleyway behind our house and reach out to the homeless to see if they were hungry or needed a jacket or shoes. She would then play with and talk with the neighbours dogs and make sure all the strays and outdoor cats in the neighborhood were fed and that they were not fighting.
She would then text me a bunch of emojis, and tell me to drive safe and that she loves me, sometimes before I was even awake. I didn't always reply to this, I read it and I smiled, but I now wish I had replied every single time.
She would often try to cook for me and my sister, or at least try to get us together as a family (despite whatever pointless excuse or argument there was from me or my sister).
She would call me in the afternoons when I was home from work and talk to me for hours. We talked about everything. She sang a lot, and we told jokes and laughed. She would also call me every time she heard an ambulance or police siren, to make sure I wasn't hurt.
My mom had some medical troubles which threatened her in the longer term, but they never concerned her. Her mind was focused on her kids and her pets. Any other bit of energy she spent was helping others.
Sister - Maria
Maria was born when I was about 13 years old. My mom had to work a lot during that time to ensure that her kids both had everything they needed. As such, I watched Maria growing up, and did so for very much of her young life.
My mom raised a wonderful daughter - the smartest 16 year old I've ever talked to. She has a strong character and sky high goals for herself.
She is so much like my mom, both her face and her mind. She's very tough and focused, and the type of person that knows what they want and they go out and get it.
Maria is so bright, and has so much potential. She has always been in AP classes and received praise for her intellect. She is also a brilliant musician and can play the double bass.
We've always been struggling financially, so my mom and sister worked together to plan for ways to obtain scholarships. I will continue to try to find a way for my sister to receive all the education she is able to.
Pets -
Ginna
Our oldest dog. Ginna is a rescue we adopted in Naples, FL in 2011. She has travelled with us from FL to WI, and then to WA.
She has some undiagnosed nerve issues we believe, as she sometimes kind of freezes and starts shaking. I intend to take her to the vet for this as soon as I am able to, financially. She was also hit by a car about 5 years ago, and now has many scars on her head - this may also bring about some other issues, such as arthritis.
She has always been our little princess. She has a strong character but has always been the peacekeeper of the house.
My mom would spend hours massaging Ginna and helping her get over her shakes - she was extremely worried that Ginna was getting old and/or would pass away.
Luigi
My mom's little boy. Luigi is the most loving dog I've ever met. He is between 2 and 4 years old.
When travelling to WA from WI, my mom stopped by a burger shop in Montana and opened the back hatch of her minivan.
In jumped Luigi, scaring both my Mom and sister as well as Zelda and Ginna. He was so loving and was only interested in licking everyone's faces that they knew he was no threat.
We tried to reach out to find an owner, but were unable to, and so Luigi travelled with to Washington.
Every time my mom felt alone or afraid, luigi was there to lick up her tears.
Yoshi & Mario
Yoshi and Mario are brothers that my mom rescued last year. She intended on only rescuing one of the cats, but the brothers were inseparable and she couldn't bear to have them be apart - they would cry for each other nonstop.
They have only been to the vet for minor checkups and shots, but we believe one of them has some hip issues, which are apparent as he walks.
My mom called them 'chilitos' - little peppers. She said they resembled little peppers with their tails sticking out as they slept.
Zelda
My mom rescued Zelda in Wisconsin, around 2015.
Zelda is Maria's cat. She has always dug my sister's dirty socks out of the laundry basket and displayed them all around the house.
My mom would sit outside with Zelda (the only cat which was allowed outside due to trust) for hours, talking to her and petting her while she sat in the sun.
Why we need it(more on what we need):
I am seeking immediate help to resolve the crisis around housing for 1 more person and 5 more pets.
I am confident I can find a place which will accommodate, but move in costs are not something I can currently afford.
I am also seeking immediate help to resolve the crisis of paying for funeral costs.
Furthermore, if funds allow, I would like to be able to take the pets to the vet. Some of them have not gone as often as they should, and I know this was very important to my mom. She would often complain about how helpless she was that one of the kittens has an apparent hip issue and she was unable to take them to the vet.
On the horizon, both me and my sister have unreliable transportation, and I would like to have a little more certainty that Maria will be able to have all the education she deserves. These are things I intend to work on myself, but they may take some time, and depending on the outcome of this campaign I would occupy the funds in this manner.
For my mom (I want to dedicate the rest of this post to what I wish I had more time to say to my mom):
I'm sorry mom.
You always asked me to sit closer, to hug you. I never knew how much I would regret not hugging you every second I was with you. If I would have known that Saturday would be the last day I would see you alive I would have hugged you the entire day.
I am sorry that you were always a shield for things I didn't want to do. I am sorry that you had to be strong so many times for your kids, and that we did not fully understand or appreciate what you were doing for us.
Everything I learned in life, everything I read - it was all connected with making you proud. I always had someone looking for my best interest with you. Many times I felt like we challenged each other, but I did not understand that success to you was your children being smart, educated and well.
You taught me what it means to be a good man. Although you had some very negative relationships you always made sure I knew what was right and wrong.
I will never cheat people, I will never hurt someone who is defenseless, and I will never do a good deed and expect something in return.
You showed me what it meant to put someone else's needs, your family's, in front of your own needs. You did not ever say this, you simply always did it.
I'll never get to thank you for all you sacrificed for me. I love you mom.
I already know the greatest regret in my life will be not having told you all of this while you were still here.
We are seeking assistance in order to move into a place where I can live with my sister and all of our pets, and to help me ensure that my sister receives the life and education she deserves.
Please see full details on the occurrence and our family below.
Funding Summary - What we need/Ways we can receive help:
* To pay for funeral costs,
* To move to a larger house to accomodate my new household size (Likely First+Last+Deposit).
* To be able to provide for my sister and new pets, and the costs involved with having a teenager who depends on you as well as adding 5 wonderful little animals to our household.
* To ensure my sister and I both have stable and dependable vehicles. We currently drive our mom's old Van and an old car which has left us stranded several times and shuts off while driving - neither vehicle is reliable.
* To give my sister the education she deserves I need to start saving for her tuition - she's already 16 and we have no savings as of yet.
The $6500 goal is an estimate of what I think it would cost only to move to a larger place to fit the household. Any extra funds will be used as shown above. Please remember that these are things I intend to provide for as well moving forward, and we work and are not afraid to work harder - but we were not prepared for this financially.
What happened:
On September 16 2018, the worst time of my life started.
I was awoken by my 16 year old sister that Sunday morning. She lives next door to me with my mom, and she knocked on my door to tell me that mom was face down in the living room and not responding.
I rushed to try and help, and turned my mom on her back. My sister started chest compressions and we called 911.
When rescue arrived, they began defibrillation and managed to recover a pulse, but nobody was sure how long my mother was unable to breathe.
In the hospital, with a pulse, we were told my mother had experienced a cardiac event and was not responding - she was in a coma. The hospital then began cooling my mom for 48 hours in order to have a better chance of recovery (I believe to lower oxygen usage in her brain).
Every torturous day me and my sister maintained hope that she would bounce back. My mom is the strongest person I had ever met and had come back from so much that I knew if such a thing was possible, she would be the one to do it.
After the 48 hours, they began to bring her temperature back up, and gave us the ultimatum that the next day, they would remove my mom's breathing tube and determine whether she was brain dead.
I sat with my mom every day, crying until my face was hot, running my fingers through her hair, letting her know she wasn't alone and that we believed she could come back from this.
On September 20th, 2018, my mom was disconnected from the breathing machine and was pronounced brain dead.
Who we are:
Me - Zeid
I'm 29 years old, and live with my girlfriend Destiny, my cat Nyan and my dog Buggs.
I am making ends meet financially, and can somewhat afford to live in my current small apartment. Me and my girlfriend both work, and are not afraid to work more if needed.
I am not sure how I'm going to make this happen, but I have to find a way to move to a larger place where me and my girlfriend and sister can live with our animals. This is why I started this campaign.
I would rather starve myself than ever get rid of these animals, and as such that is not an option. They are part of our family and they were also the most important beings in the world to my mom.
Mom - Venus
The kindest and most compassionate person I've ever known. She was known around the neighbourhood for feeding all the local strays and helping the local homeless population with food and necessities.
She taught me everything I know. She raised me alone for the most part, and did so the best she could. She would deprive herself of so much to ensure her family had what they needed and wanted. She taught me to give without expecting anything back. She taught me that you should do everything to help another living being, and that nobody is below or above anyone else.
On a typical day my mom would wake up at dawn and head outside. Once outdoors, she would water her plants as well as those of surrounding houses, feed all the birds in the alleyway behind our house and reach out to the homeless to see if they were hungry or needed a jacket or shoes. She would then play with and talk with the neighbours dogs and make sure all the strays and outdoor cats in the neighborhood were fed and that they were not fighting.
She would then text me a bunch of emojis, and tell me to drive safe and that she loves me, sometimes before I was even awake. I didn't always reply to this, I read it and I smiled, but I now wish I had replied every single time.
She would often try to cook for me and my sister, or at least try to get us together as a family (despite whatever pointless excuse or argument there was from me or my sister).
She would call me in the afternoons when I was home from work and talk to me for hours. We talked about everything. She sang a lot, and we told jokes and laughed. She would also call me every time she heard an ambulance or police siren, to make sure I wasn't hurt.
My mom had some medical troubles which threatened her in the longer term, but they never concerned her. Her mind was focused on her kids and her pets. Any other bit of energy she spent was helping others.
Sister - Maria
Maria was born when I was about 13 years old. My mom had to work a lot during that time to ensure that her kids both had everything they needed. As such, I watched Maria growing up, and did so for very much of her young life.
My mom raised a wonderful daughter - the smartest 16 year old I've ever talked to. She has a strong character and sky high goals for herself.
She is so much like my mom, both her face and her mind. She's very tough and focused, and the type of person that knows what they want and they go out and get it.
Maria is so bright, and has so much potential. She has always been in AP classes and received praise for her intellect. She is also a brilliant musician and can play the double bass.
We've always been struggling financially, so my mom and sister worked together to plan for ways to obtain scholarships. I will continue to try to find a way for my sister to receive all the education she is able to.
Pets -
Ginna
Our oldest dog. Ginna is a rescue we adopted in Naples, FL in 2011. She has travelled with us from FL to WI, and then to WA.
She has some undiagnosed nerve issues we believe, as she sometimes kind of freezes and starts shaking. I intend to take her to the vet for this as soon as I am able to, financially. She was also hit by a car about 5 years ago, and now has many scars on her head - this may also bring about some other issues, such as arthritis.
She has always been our little princess. She has a strong character but has always been the peacekeeper of the house.
My mom would spend hours massaging Ginna and helping her get over her shakes - she was extremely worried that Ginna was getting old and/or would pass away.
Luigi
My mom's little boy. Luigi is the most loving dog I've ever met. He is between 2 and 4 years old.
When travelling to WA from WI, my mom stopped by a burger shop in Montana and opened the back hatch of her minivan.
In jumped Luigi, scaring both my Mom and sister as well as Zelda and Ginna. He was so loving and was only interested in licking everyone's faces that they knew he was no threat.
We tried to reach out to find an owner, but were unable to, and so Luigi travelled with to Washington.
Every time my mom felt alone or afraid, luigi was there to lick up her tears.
Yoshi & Mario
Yoshi and Mario are brothers that my mom rescued last year. She intended on only rescuing one of the cats, but the brothers were inseparable and she couldn't bear to have them be apart - they would cry for each other nonstop.
They have only been to the vet for minor checkups and shots, but we believe one of them has some hip issues, which are apparent as he walks.
My mom called them 'chilitos' - little peppers. She said they resembled little peppers with their tails sticking out as they slept.
Zelda
My mom rescued Zelda in Wisconsin, around 2015.
Zelda is Maria's cat. She has always dug my sister's dirty socks out of the laundry basket and displayed them all around the house.
My mom would sit outside with Zelda (the only cat which was allowed outside due to trust) for hours, talking to her and petting her while she sat in the sun.
Why we need it(more on what we need):
I am seeking immediate help to resolve the crisis around housing for 1 more person and 5 more pets.
I am confident I can find a place which will accommodate, but move in costs are not something I can currently afford.
I am also seeking immediate help to resolve the crisis of paying for funeral costs.
Furthermore, if funds allow, I would like to be able to take the pets to the vet. Some of them have not gone as often as they should, and I know this was very important to my mom. She would often complain about how helpless she was that one of the kittens has an apparent hip issue and she was unable to take them to the vet.
On the horizon, both me and my sister have unreliable transportation, and I would like to have a little more certainty that Maria will be able to have all the education she deserves. These are things I intend to work on myself, but they may take some time, and depending on the outcome of this campaign I would occupy the funds in this manner.
For my mom (I want to dedicate the rest of this post to what I wish I had more time to say to my mom):
I'm sorry mom.
You always asked me to sit closer, to hug you. I never knew how much I would regret not hugging you every second I was with you. If I would have known that Saturday would be the last day I would see you alive I would have hugged you the entire day.
I am sorry that you were always a shield for things I didn't want to do. I am sorry that you had to be strong so many times for your kids, and that we did not fully understand or appreciate what you were doing for us.
Everything I learned in life, everything I read - it was all connected with making you proud. I always had someone looking for my best interest with you. Many times I felt like we challenged each other, but I did not understand that success to you was your children being smart, educated and well.
You taught me what it means to be a good man. Although you had some very negative relationships you always made sure I knew what was right and wrong.
I will never cheat people, I will never hurt someone who is defenseless, and I will never do a good deed and expect something in return.
You showed me what it meant to put someone else's needs, your family's, in front of your own needs. You did not ever say this, you simply always did it.
I'll never get to thank you for all you sacrificed for me. I love you mom.
I already know the greatest regret in my life will be not having told you all of this while you were still here.
Organizer
Zeid Diez
Organizer
Auburn, WA
