Wildfire Victim Maria: Support Her Final Journey

Update 7/9/2025:

Mahalo ‘ohana/families for your incredible generosity - because of your kindness, we’ve reached our initial fundraising goal to honor Grandma and support Francis. With your help, we’re now one step closer to bringing Grandma home to the Philippines and ensuring Francis has the care and stability he needs during this heartbreaking time.

Due to the overwhelming response and continued need, we’ve decided to raise the goal to further support funeral costs and Francis’s living situation. Every donation has made a real difference, and we’re deeply grateful for your support.

If you’re able, please continue to help by sharing this fundraiser with your friends, family, and communities to help us reach our new goal. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

MAHALO

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Hello everyone

My name is Venise Elisara . I have started this gofundme account to help my grandmother get home (philipiness) .She was involved in the 95 -acres Maili wildfires on Sunday. Grandma didn’t make it due to smoke inhalation and second degree burns . I love you grandma . Let me take you back how I met my 94 year old best friend in the year of 2021 .

Grandma was someone that me and a coworker of mine ran into while working at safety systems , we normally driver around the block (kaukama road) making our way to farrington hwy making sure all our warnings signs were up and safe for the public . We had seen grandma sitting under a tree with rubbish around her . So we pulled up and asked if she needed anything . It was very hot day because when she looked up at us her glasses were very foggy ,Tiny small Filipino lady trying to catch her breath. We pulled up and offer her some water . We Asked if she needed a ride and she said “yes bus stop” . My coworkers jumps out helps her into the truck knowingly we had company cameras in our truck . Put her seat belt on and make sure my coworker in the back was okay. Strobe lights on and from the back road to the main road(Farrington highway) there’s a bus stop going town bound (Wainae to town) . Dropped her off and went back to the ma’ipalaoa bridge where we were station for work. This all happens around 9am one morning . For the life of me that day after we dropped her off it didn’t sit well. From how hot the day was, her age 91 and she had a small stick with her like a cane . Something I was thinking for her to lean on. Our shift was done at 1pm. I thought man … after this imma go right back to that same bus stop. From 1pm-5:30ish later that afternoon I sat at the beach and watch the buses pull up every 30-45 min and see if she gets off the same stop . Honestly my heart sank thinking man I hope she’s okay or if I’ll ever see her again . I wondering if she had went home or not . Sure enough I watch as the 40 bus arrive and it took a little longer for someone to get off so then I knew must be her. Drove across from the beach side(maili beach park) to mauka side the intersection and picked her up. I offered her a ride she smile and help her load a heavy backpack .Took her home and realize how far the walk must have been from the bottom of Farrington hwy to the very back of KauKamana road where she lives must have taken her sometime. Dropped her off and walked her in while have her lean her weight on me . I came out of her gate and lock it behind me , she waved , smile and said “salamat” . My job was 7 days a week from 5am-1pm for the next couple of months so every other day I would drive to the back and see if she’s walking down to catch her bus. Sure enough I would pick her up and drop her off to her home . After 1pm i would drive up to her making sure if she was okay or need a ride . I would go so often that she would welcome me into her bus . Asked for her name Maria Pascual and I immediately went to look on Facebook if she had family . She didn’t have any living on the island but a close friend lives in the white shack next to her (Francis) his name . Got her to FaceTime call them and watch her cry made me realize that she really doesn’t have anyone here . One day lead to another from phone conversation to meeting her family , FaceTime them to heading out to Tamura ,USPS , restaurants etc. me and grandma had a route down from getting her groceries to getting water where to sent money to her family in the philippines. Every 1st was social security to 3rd her ebt would hit to getting her food to getting water ….. and so on . Days became months and we was still going strong . My job was no longer running everyday at that particular site in Waianae but all over the island . So was a little harder to get to grandma so I would tell her wait for me Sunday. Grandma was born in Wailuku maui and she would tell me story’s in broken English how she use to work in the sugarcane fields to coffee fields and now picking flower for her landlord . Her work hours was from Monday -Sunday 630-2pm depend on how many flower we’re ready to be picked . Sunday after 2pm I would pull up and she be ready in a sweet Sunday dress of any color with empty water bottles ,ebt card and loose change .Some doctors appointments were on weekdays as well as renew State ID / social security cards and I wouldn’t be able to take off and communicate with my partner to have her help

me during the weekdays….2021-2025 we have been non stop loving blessing and caring for our grandmother . I get so worried about her when I go to work because sometimes grandma hearing wasn’t good and she would walk with a limp so she would walk slow but try to hurry . Sometimes I would catch someone in the moment of her getting yelled at by drivers for walking to slow or couldn’t see her , I would run up and apologize because I was so fragile and over protective over her that I couldn’t let anything happen to her. I believe about a year an ago, grandma gotten hit so bad from a Chevy truck that landed her in ER with her face all bust up and her knee ,hip and her gums were all ruin . Me and my partner stayed with her in the ER and took her home . Everyday after that hospital visit we were making sure she shower and clean her cuts and take medications. She eventually gotten better . When work was so busy knowing had to work late we would stop by during work hours on the plumeria field where she was at and call out for her to drop of food and drinks something light because we didn’t want her carrying heavy bags up to her bus .Grandma had such a heart for her family in the Philippines . Driven with such fire that was very unstoppable . She was living on social security income that was maybe $850 now and she would sent money home (philipiness ) and her living in that bus and her close friend Francis would live in the white shack they would pay rent. Sometimes we beat her to pay her electric bill. I would sneak her money for rent from time to time so she had more to

sent to her family . Sometimes when we would have the weekends off I would have my partner a few chairs and a tent sent up with stuffed UHU on the grill. Her favorite was the red little menpachies fishes from her neighbor's ,add oil or butter she prefers, coconut milk over rice and her favorite soda (coco-cola). 94 years of age this year and I’ve watched her carried her groceries up the hill when I would be late to meet her. She would wash her close outside in a bucket of water and hang it . Sometimes I always bring up her going back home to be with her family but always tell me “no need money home “ so I knew grandma always had to live to care for her family back home . Sometimes I think man she’s “old to still be working like this “ but in her was a mother hungry then ever to keep providing for her family. She had the drive & heart of a lion. 94 years old and man god blessed her !!! We didn’t speak the same language nor blood but she was a blessing in my life . English isn’t me and grandma first language and a lot of our communication was either full of laughter , animal sounds ,smiles or paper work put into a puzzle of “oooh this what you need?” That was our communication. A lot of times I would sit back and solve what she wants and honestly it has been working for me and her . She’s always laughing smiling or just quiet. I adore her .

The white shack next to her is her close friend Francis where she would watch him and he would watch her . He is also her best friend at picking flowers and both pay rent for the white shack and she pays rent for her bus . Sometimes when I would drive up after work he’s riding his bike and she’s walking . He definitely needs your help . They have been inseparable . Breaking the news to him was hard . She was everything to him , he would go looking for him if I showed up and she didn’t walk up or in my truck . He waits at the bottom of the long drive way while I go drive around for her at Tamura ,Waipahu , post office or the Wainae first Hawaiian bank. Francis I wouldn’t have to worry too much about him but grandma was someone I adore and really watch her from time to time . She has gotten older and this year she would have been 95. At this age still walking , picking flowers , refilling her water bottles and still smiling . Never complains .

I could go on and on about grandma and the relationship I had with her . To those who have come across these two and given rides to and from her home and given things to them: From the bottom of my heart I want to say THANK YOU . Thank you thank you for loving and accepting her . Grandma always shows & tell's me she gotten a ride from someone this week when I couldn’t make it. My heart gets so happy about it . It Truly took a village and a community . THANK YOU. Waianae, you will forever be my heart because of her ! The neighbors near or far who would txt or call me when grandma would walk down to/from her house or emergencies THANK YOU . She is now at rest and I will forever cherish this ! Who would have thought I found me a 94 year best friend !!! All donation will go towards grandmas funeral expenses as well as her best friend Francis’ living situation . Thank you so much for everyone’s love and countless prayers . She will forever be my heart . Like grandma always says “Salamat” !!