On January 4, 2022, Nyabiel Gatkuoth admitted herself into the hospital with every intention in mind that she'd leave a few days later; as a result, Nyabiel decided not to communicate her whereabouts to any of her siblings or mother, for that matter--in hopes not to worry us.

As the days progressed and as all of our calls and texts continued to go unanswered, the medical team finally reached out to our family about the status of her condition; we were too late. Nyabiel's body had entered into the late stages of liver failure with no possibility of treatment, causing her other organs to fail. On January 27, 2022, at the young age of 25, Nyabiel Gatkuoth took her last breaths over a Zoom camera while her family watched on the other end.

We are all trying our best to stay strong through this tragedy as Nyabiel leaves behind four sisters, an older brother, and a mother who all loved her dearly. She also leaves behind a boyfriend and a vast community of friends who have stuck by the family's side since word dropped of her condition; they, too, are fighting through the pain just as much as they can like the rest of us.

Nyabiel was an extremely bright young woman; she was a journalist, an artist, an actress, a visionary--there aren't enough words to describe how much of a creative soul she had. Paired with her sarcastic humor, Nyabiel was a comedian at birth, always finding ways to make the room laugh and bringing light to any dark situation. We didn't have enough time with her, but all we can do now is revel in the time we were blessed with, no matter how short it may have been.

At this moment, we are asking for support to guide our family through this devastating tragedy. Your donations will be put towards funeral and medical expenses whilst providing our family with peace of mind as we process and grieve the loss of our beloved daughter, sibling, and friend.

In the end, we are all just glad Nyabiel is no longer suffering; may we all reunite with her in Paradise. “Verily we belong to God and verily to Him we return.”