Julia Torres

My name is Julia, and I’m reaching out on behalf of my best friend, Ramona Duran. We’ve known each other for over 30 years, and I’ve watched her face more challenges than most people could imagine. Ramona is a single mother of nine children, and right now, she’s preparing for heart surgery to receive a double pacemaker. For the past decade, she’s battled diabetes and a heart condition that leaves her exhausted and anxious, often afraid to fall asleep at night. Because of her anxiety, Ramona doesn’t drive, so I, along with my 15-year-old daughter, have been helping her get to her many doctor and hospital appointments, as well as running errands and making sure her family has what they need. The challenges don’t stop there. Ramona’s 15-year-old daughter, Harmony, has been fighting liver rejection since she was a baby. She received a transplant 15 years ago, but now her body is rejecting the liver again. Harmony needs frequent blood labs and doctor visits, and sometimes we have to wait anxiously for results to see if she’ll be readmitted to the hospital. Several of Ramona’s other children are also facing serious health issues, including one who recently had surgery and her youngest, who was just diagnosed as autistic at 10 years old. Our biggest struggle right now is transportation. Our current car is unreliable and often breaks down, sometimes forcing us to cancel or miss critical appointments. Renting a car is expensive, and there have been times when we simply couldn’t afford it, putting Ramona and her children’s health at risk. Since moving to Washington, we don’t have a local support network to help with repairs or rides. That’s why we’re asking for help to get a dependable minivan or SUV—something that can fit the whole family and get them safely to their appointments and errands. We are not a family that asks for much, but we believe in the power of community and faith. If you can find it in your heart to help, your support would mean the world to us. Every contribution, no matter the size, brings us closer to getting Ramona and her children the care they need. Thank you for reading our story, for your kindness, and for any encouragement or support you can offer. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.

Saying goodbye to Scrim has been one of the hardest things our family has faced. My daughter received Scrim as a Christmas gift just a year ago, and he quickly became her best friend and a cherished part of our family. His sudden passing was a shock to us all—the doctors did everything they could, but even they couldn’t determine the cause of his death. Not having answers has made this loss even more difficult for our family, and we want to honor his memory in a way that brings comfort and healing. Our wish is to have Scrim cremated and bring him home, so he can continue to be a part of our family. This farewell means everything to my daughter—it’s a way for her to say goodbye, to grieve, and to remember all the love and joy Scrim brought into our lives. Having him home will help us all heal and keep his memory close, especially for my daughter and our other cat, who misses him dearly. We are reaching out for support to help us give Scrim the loving farewell he deserves. Any help you can give will mean so much to our family as we honor Scrim and begin to heal together. Thank you for your kindness and for helping us keep Scrim’s memory alive.

Sad to share, but my little girl just lost her baby SCRIM, HER CAT. We noticed that he wasn't drinking and eating for two days. We were trying to help him eat and drink, so on Thursday when I got home from work, we rushed him to the hospital. They put him on oxygen, antibiotics, and IV fluids! The doctor couldn't pinpoint what was wrong with him. He was jaundiced and lethargic, and his breathing was becoming more shallow. So, the doctor kept him overnight to hydrate him and see what they could do. They took a few tests of his liver. Everything looked healthy. Come Friday morning, we got the devastating call that no one's ready to hear . During the phone call, as we were driving, my daughter and I heard that he was taking his last breath as we were driving, and he didn't MAKE IT . The doctor can't even find the cause of death. Even the doctor said it's strange because he was perfectly healthy after doing all the testing and ultrasound, but his liver enzymes were so high, and he was jaundiced. I had asked the doctor what was the cause of death. They still couldn't pinpoint it; they said it's a strange case. So, as a single mother giving my all to the last dime, I had to get him better!! Now, we are asking for some love and support to raise this GoFundMe to bring SCRIM home with a proper burial. He didn't make it to his 1st birthday . We got him on Christmas . This is so hard on us. He was so loved and a happy cat. It's so hard on us. Please, if you could find it in your heart to GoFund on his behalf, we would really appreciate it all. We sit here thinking how we could have done things differently, and my baby girl said, 'Mom, everything happens for a reason; only the Lord knows.' We just need to see the good in it all. The doctor said it was a sudden death and a strange one. We all were mind-blown. The doctor said he was perfectly healthy, and through his pain, Scrimmy WAS JUST PURRING . THANK YOU for taking the time to read about the need for our beloved Scrim.