Memorial for Dawn Kimberling

As many of you know by now, my mother Dawn died in the ICU on Monday, December 20th. She was 63.

While her death has stunned us, shocked us, and will continue to leave us asking what happened, I hope that we can all come together for some sense of closure in January to celebrate the life that touched so many lives; a life that never asked for more than it gave. I keep hearing how kind, caring, and selfless my mother was. The world has felt out of balance ever since.

I found her collapsed in her room—dehydrated, disoriented, hypothermic. She was rushed to the hospital, where doctors worked quickly and carefully to determine what had happened. For those who knew her, she was spunky and spirited; a force to be reckoned with. That sharp wit and goofiness remained even in her final hours of consciousness. The doctor asked the nurses to dim the lights of her room so he could view a sonogram of her abdomen. As they dimmed, she said, "the movie is about to begin."

She was one of the most health conscious people you’ll ever meet, so what could have taken my mother so suddenly? The cardiologists at St. Mary's eventually determined that she’d been having underlying heart problems. And, as many of you know, she was hesitant to seek medical counsel unless it was life or death. She had the biggest heart, but an enlarged heart failed her in her final hours. Surrounded by loved ones, she passed away peacefully in the ICU. She was ready to go, but we weren’t prepared.

I created this fund to ask for assistance in covering some of the medical bills and memorial costs. Most of you knew how much she wanted to buy a house, get married, and retire. While the deck may have been stacked against her in life, I want to give my mom the memorial she deserves—a proper chance for everyone she knew and loved to share their stories and memories of her. It's a chance to celebrate the woman who led such a rich, cultured life—not in spite of, but because of her hardships. She never took this life for granted.

The details of Dawn’s celebration of life memorial will be shared as soon as I’ve made the arrangements. Thank you for your continuous support and condolences—I love reading how my mother impacted so many lives; I can only hope to properly memorialize such a selfless, beautiful soul.

—Andrea