Help Honor Carmen Diaz's Legacy

Honoring the Life of Carmen Diaz

Dear friends, family, and compassionate supporters,

My name is Ronnie Diaz, and it is with a heavy heart that I share the passing of my beloved grandmother, Carmen Diaz, who left us on June 22, 2024, at 4:30 am. Born June 15, 1943, she blessed our lives with her presence for 81 incredible years. In her final act of love, she held on to celebrate her birthday with us one last time, showing her unwavering strength and dedication to her family.

Carmen Diaz was a remarkable woman whose love knew no bounds. Her passion made me feel ten feet tall, filling me with the confidence to tackle any challenge. She was a fighter, battling severe health issues from December 2023 until her passing. Despite being in and out of the ICU and transferring between multiple hospitals, she never gave up on us. Carmen faced pneumonia in the lungs, fibrosis, and Sjögren's syndrome, which dried her body and made her struggle to breathe and swallow. Yet, through it all, she remained selfless, enduring unimaginable hardships for the sake of her family.

Watching her suffer was heart-wrenching. For the first 2 months, she didn't talk at all. She couldn't. She had a tube down her throat, but she fought and even though she couldn't eat or drink for over seven months, she often expressed a simple wish for a cold drink or her favorite meal. Despite her immense pain, she never let go of her determination to be with us. Her resilience and love were truly inspiring. I have such an immense respect for respiratory therapists, so much so that it has motivated me to become one. I learned a lot during this time. I needed to so that when I visited my grandmother, I could make sure I helped her and the workers that were there. It takes a lot of patience and love to do a specialty like that. To see your loved one with a trachea sticking out of their neck is no easy feat, let me tell you. What I will never forget in the end is just spending time with her. Watching General Hospital with her at 2 pm was her favorite, but what I won't forget the most is just trying to make her feel comfortable. It was my favorite part about going over there. I think she thought in the end she was a burden because she couldn't do anything for herself. She was so weak that she couldn't even raise her arm high enough to scratch her face. So, when I was there with her, I did everything I could to make her feel less anxious because if you knew Carmen, you knew that she was riddled with anxiety. From cleaning her face and body to putting her favorite creams on her face, it was all something I looked forward to when I would go see her. But now I can't do that anymore and it kills me! She always called me her first baby and it made me feel so special. She loved all her grandkids so much. Andrew was like her son and Steven was her little bunny. We are all going to miss her. The pain will always be there but so will she, in our hearts. We will do right by her because, in the end, that's what she wanted.

As we navigate this difficult time, we are asking for your help. Creating this GoFundMe campaign is not easy, but the financial burden of her medical expenses and funeral costs is overwhelming. We hope to honor her memory and legacy by giving her the farewell she deserves.

Any contribution, no matter how small, will make a difference. With all the services, cemetery fees, and fees for the plot, it totals over 30,000 dollars. Your support will help us cover the medical bills, funeral expenses, and other costs associated with her passing. More than anything, it will allow us to focus on celebrating the life of an extraordinary woman who gave so much to everyone around her. We all know how hard it is for everyone during these times but when a family death occurs, it's never at a good time.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story and for considering a donation. Your kindness and generosity mean the world to us during this challenging time.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Ronnie Diaz