KT Pierce

My name is KT, and I have created this GoFundMe on behalf of my best friend of more than 30 years, Teresa Peppers. For the past few weeks, Teresa watched her mother suffer. Melissa was in unrelenting pain, and despite doctor visits and Teresa doing everything she could to care for her at home, nothing was helping. She bathed her, she stayed by her side, she did everything a daughter could do for the woman who had always been her best friend. On Valentine's Day, Teresa rushed Melissa to the hospital. They admitted her overnight. Teresa went home to rest, exhausted from weeks of caregiving, planning to return first thing in the morning. She slept through the night while her mother was in good hands, or so she thought. She woke to a call that shattered her. Melissa had been transferred to another hospital over an hour away, but there was no need to come get her. Her mother was gone. Those were the words. Just gone. She never got to say goodbye. She never got to hold her hand. She never got to be in the room. She slept through her mother's last hours while Melissa died alone, and Teresa woke up into a nightmare she will carry for the rest of her life. Melissa was a loving mother, grandmother, and friend who always put her family first. She had a great sense of humor, loved to laugh, was opinionated, and loved the people in her life fiercely. Every time I called Teresa on the phone, Melissa was in the background chiming in and being a comedian. She sacrificed so much for so many people and became a full time caretaker for her husband until his life was cut short in 2019. Melissa lived a quiet life in her small trailer in Kellyton, Alabama, and she was the absolute heart of her family. Right now, that family needs help. Melissa's final wish was to be buried in the family plot, and they are desperate to honor that. But a recent life insurance change means the payout will be very small, leaving them to shoulder almost the entire cost of funeral services, a casket, embalming for an open-casket viewing, transport, and grave opening and closing at Radney Funeral Home in Alexander City. Melissa's mother purchased that burial plot years ago, which is a blessing, but the rest is still unpaid. If these funds can't be raised quickly, they'll be forced to settle with cremation and her wishes will not be carried out. The funds raised will go directly toward giving Melissa the peaceful, dignified farewell she deserves. A portion will also go to her daughter to keep the home where she has been living with her mother. And we'd like to split whatever is remaining between all three of her children and her only grandchild. Teresa lives with disabilities and shared every expense with her mom. She is now alone in that small trailer, facing property taxes and utilities and a future without the person who has been by her side every single day. Melissa also leaves behind two sons, Wayne and Chris Peppers, who are grieving while managing their own families and responsibilities. And she leaves behind her only grandchild, Keanu, Teresa's adult son, who lives in another city and cannot get paid time off work to grieve or even attend the funeral. The family is doing what they can, but they cannot afford this. Every donation will go directly toward funeral costs and Teresa's essential needs. We promise to keep everyone updated on our progress and expenses. If you're able to help, it would mean the world to Teresa and her family. Thank you for reading and for any support you can give during this difficult time.