My Mothers Last Wish

Co-organized

Reginald King and Carol Fox are organizing this fundraiser.

Donation protected

Hello everyone,

My name is Reggie King and in the pictures along with me is my dear mother Lucinda Darlene Carter. This Gofundme fundraiser was established with the intent to grant my mother her last wish for a pre - arranged funeral and Burial as she does not have much time left with us.

My mother Lucinda Carter was born in Pacoima California on November 9, 1964. She is the 3rd child and only sister to three brother's. Lucinda spent of her childhood growing up in a home filled with love by her parents and among family and friends.

Later on during her childhoods years, my mother became a student at Patrick Henry Middle School where she then graduated and completed middle school.

My mother continued her education at John F. Kennedy High School in Granada Hills. The picture of my mother holding a white umbrella is from her Prom Night event at J.F.K High school.

During her years at J.F.K High my mother Lucinda would participate in various school activities and was an athlete playing tennis for the J.F.K Golden Cougars. While being a great friend and student to all around her during that time, my mother completed her Education at J.F.K High School and Graduated in 1982.

On a mission to create a bright future for herself and family, my mother Lucinda continued her education at Los Angeles Valley College. My mother again participated in various activities during her time in college while still remaining a great friend and student to her peers and teachers.

During my mother Lucinda's final year of college, she had came down with chicken pox before her big year book picture schedule. This was very concerning to my mother as she was worried that she would not heal in time enough before her year book picture.

My mother went to see a doctor at that time to be healed before her big year book picture day. The doctor gave her an injection of Gamma Globulin which went to my mothers central nervous system causing her to collapse and would forever alter her mental stability.

Under many medications for her mental health, my mother Lucinda was able to take her college year book picture and graduate from Los Angeles Valley College with an Associate of Arts Degree in Business in 1985.

Soon after graduating college in 1985, my mother was diagnosed Bipolar Manic Depressive Schizophrenia with a seizure disorder.

During the year 1987, my mother Lucinda was pregnant with me and she was excited to learn that she was pregnant with a boy. My mother went into Labor with me while eating with her Dad at Norms Restaurant in North Hollywood CA.

My mother was rushed to Pacifica hospital in Sun Valley where doctors learned that during my mother trying to give birth to me, my umbilical cord was rapped around my neck. My mothers parent's were then told that they would have to make a decision between my mother and I because only one of us were going to make it.

A decision was made to save me by my mother's parents and my mother underwent cesarean surgery. At 5:37am on December 20, 1987, full of joy my mother was holding me in her arms. My mother and I made it together.

My mother Lucinda would continue on to raise me as a single parent mom with the help of her parents, as my father disappeared out of the lives of my mother and I when I was a baby. My mother was determined to raise me as best as she could while in and out of hospitals battling her mental illness for all of my life.

While my mother was raising me is a child, my mother and her parent's had a continuous battle with child protective services over me. The social workers were of the idea that my mother was a danger to herself and I, her son. Thankfully, my mother was blessed with a strong mother and father who helped fight for my mother to be with me.

While battling to remain mentally stable on medication, my mother Lucinda continued on to try and pursuit one of her goals of working with the local school board. My mother worked for Maclay Middle School and Sepulveda Middle School in the San Fernando Valley as a school check in greeter for a short time.

My mother Lucinda would later continue on to pursue one of her dream jobs and that was a career in the medical field of becoming a nurse. She made many attempts in trying to attend different nursing schools in the San Fernando Valley area but the attempts were for only a short period of time as well.

Due to imbalances in her medication at times, my mother was unable to sustain long term employment and achieve her dream job of becoming a nurse some day. Although my mother could not maintain her employment status, she still persisted in the hopes being able to help people and make a positive difference in her community.

Growing up in a church family, my mother Lucinda taught Sunday School, sung in the church choir and was an active attendant at her home church Greater Community Missionary Baptist Church in Pacoima. She would attend various other churches in the San Fernando Valley and had me at her side as a little boy.

My mother Lucinda spiritually was devoted to her faith in god and remained open and welcoming to the local religion's which surrounded her community. While I was growing up as her son, I saw how church continued to allow my mother to maintain control and elevate her mental stability.

Although my mother had faced many difficult periods in time with her mental health, she continued to pray that one day god will cure her mental illness and she would able to resume permanently pursuing her dream for herself and her family.

My mother Lucinda Dancing on Christmas of 2017 to Let it whip by the Dazz Band.

On May 22, 2018 my mother Lucinda had suffered an Acute Stroke of the Brain. During this time, my mother was not responsive for over a month and from that point forward was total disable.

My mother was once again was faced with another decision to be made on her life, this time by the very same person who survived with the first encounter with her and that was me, her son. I decided that my mother and would fight this together and she had a trach placed in her neck and a feeding tube in her stomach.

Doctors were unable to tell me if she would regain consciousness or if after that, would she be able to remember who I am being her only son. My mother at this point had a new challenge on top of her battling her mental illness.

During this time, I would go be with my mom all morning, later go to work in the evening, go home from work for a short time and come back to help my mother through the entire night.

On one July morning in 2018, after being overnight with my mother Lucinda, I told her that I was going to run an errand and that I would be right back. I would talk to my mother although she was unresponsive but I could feel as her son that she could hear me.

I completed my errands and came back to be with my mother. I walked over to her then touched her and said "hey mom I'm back" then she opened her eyes, turned her head then looked up at me and gave me the most glorious smile. She recognized me, her son.

My mother Lucinda soon regained the ability to eat by mouth, speak, move her arms and legs plus remember how to sing her favorite songs. My mother was doing so well that eventually her trach was removed because she could breath on her own and protect her air way.

I realized that due to my mothers brain injury personality wise, I was no longer talking to my adult mother but instead I was talking to a 12 year old version of my mother. All through the days and nights, my mother and I continued on improving her abilities while singing, laughing plus watching our favorite movies and tv shows.

My mothers birthday before trach removal.

March 12, 2020, I gave my mother a kiss and told her that I loved her and she said she loved me too, as I had to leave early for work this day. Later that day on my break at work, I received a phone call from my mother nursing facility and was told that there has been a state wide ban on visitation for family members due to the Covid -19 pandemic.

My heart sunk into my stomach as I had to figure a way to tell my mother when will I be coming back to help her. The truth was that I did not know when. Pretty soon days then weeks went by with me constantly calling my mother and trying to explain to her over the phone how dangerous it was for me to comeback to her.

In April of 2020, my mother began losing her abilities to speak, move and eat by mouth. Then one day, I called to talk to her over the phone and a nurse caring for my mother told me that as I was talking to my mother over the phone, tears were rolling down the side of her face.

The next day and for the following week my mother was hospitalized multiple times for a series of seizures she was having. My mothers condition began to decline soo bad that yet again doctors had called me to make a decision on whether to sustain my mothers life on not.

After hearing information on my mother well being and a word with god, I told the doctors that my mother and I will choose to fight together again. Months before the nation wide shut down, sadly my mother told me that she did not want to die after finally realizing her health situation and for that reason I made good on her request.

The doctors placed a second trach in my mothers neck as she was slowly becoming disoriented. Days and weeks continued to go by with me making face time phone calls to bring my mothers spirit's up because I could not be with her. Soon after that it became months.

I spent my time away from my mother quarantined at home facetiming her and trying to apply for life insurance for my mother incase something were to happen to her but her application for her was rejected. The reason for the rejection was because my mother was in a nursing facility.

In June of 2020, I received a phone call from a doctor who told me my mother has again became unresponsive. The doctor did a CT scan on my mother brain and learned that in addition to the stroke, my mother had a virus in the fluid of her brain attacking the left side of her brain causing damage and swelling which also explained the seizures.

My mother Lucinda received medical treatment for the virus but after 5 months of me, her son being removed from her bedside, my mother remained unresponsive. My mother would just open her eyes with an empty stare into space. Information from the doctors on my moms vitals showed me that she was still fighting strong.

In late August of 2020, my mother Lucinda was again hospitalize for Sepsis Shock. My mothers blood was no longer absorbing the nutrients from the feeding tube. Later doctors informed me that my mothers Dilantin level was too high and needed come down to around the low 20's.

A couple days later it was almost midnight and I received another phone call from my mothers nurse informing me that my mothers heart rate and blood pressure dropped dangerously. My mother was still able to hold on and stay strong for me in spurts with the help of medications.

Again very soon, I received another phone call from a doctor informing me that my mothers kidney function was rapidly declining and my mother would need dialysis. I gave the doctors the green light to re-clean the blood flowing through me my mother and this helped improve her heart rate and blood pressure but again her Dilantin level was still pretty high.

The doctors wanted to get another CT scan of my mothers brain but did not want to run the risk of transporting her since she was not stable enough. In a short time, the dialysis helped improve my mothers kidney, heart rate and blood pressure and she became stable enough to be transported for a CT scan of brain. Again I can still sense my mother still not giving up.

September 9, 2020 I received a phone call from a doctor who had very difficult news for me about my mother CT Scan. The doctor had informed that my mother sustained massive bleeding in her brain and the damage was catastrophic.

The doctor told me that my mother, the rainbow to my blue skies is not going to make it and it will not be long before she passes away. I felt like someone tore my heart out of my chest and squeezed it until it burst.

That same day the doctor informed me that because of my mothers condition, he informed the hospital to let me enter the building with my grandmother to be with my mother. Finally for the first time in 5 months and 9 days, my grandmother and I was holding my mothers hands.

Everyday now on my days off and when I go to work, right after I'm done, I go to the hospital to spent the remaining time god has granted my mother and I to be together.

Thank you so much for reading my mothers Lucinda's life story with me, her son included. I ask of anyone with a warm, kind and generous soul to please help support my dear mothers last wish to have a funeral and burial pre-arrangement for her.

My mother may have not had a chance to achieve her dream but when my mother time comes to an end, at least she can pass in peace knowing that at least her wish was granted with all your love and support plus the promise made by her only son to see that his mothers wish is granted.

Please note that once the donation goal of $20,000 in funeral and burial expenses is complete, I Lucinda's son, Reggie King will be responsible for overseeing the handling of the funds for the benefit of my mother funeral and burial expenses.

On the behalf of my mother,
Thank you all very much and God bless you.

- Lucinda Carter & Reggie King