Let's celebrate Rochelle "Rocky" Meekins! ✨️

Hi family and friends.

It is with the heaviest of hearts that we announce the unexpected life transition of our beautiful mother, Rochelle Angelique Meekins.

On December 8th, I took my mother to the ER for disorientation and a fever. As you may or may not know, Rochelle was one of the strongest, smartest, and most active, able-bodied people on this earth! So, the level of her confusion and physical weakness on this day was personally alarming. As I got her dressed, helped her to the car, and walked her into the hospital, she was not afraid. She was calm, peaceful, and although not completely aware of what was happening, made sure to give her best smile and unwavering kindness to everyone that attended her. We thought we’d be in and out that day. Unfortunately, that day turned into a 17-day hospital stay that would conclude with our sweet mother resting in her eternal peace.

During our stay, my mom’s health rapidly declined, and the doctors could not figure out what was ailing her. Day by day, her fever spiked repeatedly, her disorientation would fade and then return, her organs would begin to fail, and she would endure procedure after procedure after procedure to get to the bottom of what was happening. On day 5 of our stay, after hypothesizing several different reasons for her decline, the doctors finally diagnosed mommy with a rare blood disease called HLH (Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocystosis). After a bone marrow biopsy, they confirmed her diagnosis and immediately started her on a treatment plan.

For a few days, we thought it was beginning to improve her health status. She was more lucid, recognizing faces, responding to commands, and stabilizing. But she slowly started regressing again and by day 14 of our stay, the Palliative Care team was sent to come speak with me. Her body was unfortunately not responding to treatment. Our family still held hope that she would recover. However, on December 25th, Christmas Day, our mother peacefully breathed her last breath while I held her hand and kissed her cheek. It was a rare, uncommon disease that claimed the life of one of the rarest, most beautiful souls on this earth.

It's surreal and incomprehensible that she's no longer with us in the flesh. She has been and continues to be a staple in so many of our lives and the shock of her passing is still fresh and difficult to endure. What is this world without Rocky, you know? What is life without her in it? Who are we without the luminescence of her shine? I know most of us, if not all of us, never thought we'd ever have to find out. Yet here we are.

As we prepare to honor her life on Saturday, January 20th, my family and I would like to both invite you to attend her celebration of life service and extend this opportunity to you to support us in any way that you are able. So many of you considered her FAMILY. She TOUCHED far more lives than any of us can imagine. She LOVED harder than anyone I know. She constantly GAVE herself over to helping, serving, and supporting the needs of everyone around her, even if it often meant sacrificing her own health and needs. She deserved FAR MORE than any of us could have ever given her, but now is our turn to show up for her one last time.

Mommy spent the last 2 weeks of her precious life in the ICU and we are now faced with the many expenses of both her medical bills and after life arrangements. My mother was a private person, and often struggled with asking for help. She was going to figure 'it' out on her own 'come hell or high water!' lol. But, I often prayed that she would experience the beauty in community and vulnerability; that our connected, humble, human experience was a power to tap into, and not a weakness to be ashamed of. So we call on the power of our community, her community, now. Whatever you can give is a complete blessing and we thank you in advance for your offerings of love as we all face the reality of a new normal in her absence.

Yet, Be Encouraged!

Although our Queen is now absent from her body, we believe and stand firm in the truth that her spirit is now present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). She loved our Father in Heaven and our Lord Jesus Christ more than anything. She raised her children to believe, encouraged her friends to believe, admonished her clients to believe, and would never miss an opportunity to pray for someone and point all eyes to Jesus. Though we hurt now, as we BELIEVE in Christ, we make BIG plans to see her again in heaven, wearing that captivating, beautiful smile of hers and dancing to her favorite Luther Vandross tunes!

We love you all so much. She loved you all so much. And we take our next steps forward...together.

*Service to be held on January 20th, 2pm-6pm, location in NY, venue TBD, dress code: Shades of Blue (mommy's favorite color )

Click HERE to see mommy's 60th Bday!