Roselee Rizzo

Hey everyone,

It is finally time to post this fundraiser to gather funds for the cremation of my mom. I held out for so long because I was afraid that she would see it and give up fighting her lung cancer.

My mom is not doing well. She's currently sitting in the Vineland Inspira on a constant rotation of pain and anxiety meds to keep her calm and as pain free as possible. She doesn't eat much and isn't able to stay awake for long periods of time.

My mom, Roselee Rizzo was diagnosed with stage 4 lunch cancer back in 2021. She was scared but she was confident in her fight. She would often say things like, "I have people waiting on me up there, but I know I have people who need me here so I'm gonna fight, Catherine." I was happy with that answer. To us, it meant more days with our mom. She didn't give up for a second. She remained hopeful to the end.

Now, the cancer has spread through her lungs, liver, her bones, and her throat. My mom went into the hospital last Wednesday due to being unable to walk or take care of herself. She wanted answers. Even though my mum still wants to fight, her body is giving up on her.

My mom dedicated all her time to helping other people. She was strong-willed and ready for a fight but she would always find a way to help whether we liked her solution or not. She would say, "You're not gonna like this but this is what I can do." Her family meant the world to her. She loved us kids and whether she said it out loud or not, she loved her partner in life, Thomas Raymond. She told me in the car after we found out her cancer had returned, "I made a promise to your grandmother that I would take care of him, Cat. I'm not gonna let her down." To which I told her, he's going to do whatever he wants and there's nothing she can do to help him. She did not give up on him.

She loved her grand babies to no end. They could never do any wrong even when they were ripping their diapers off and running wild. She spoiled them with gifts, clothes, cupcakes, and love. She always chose to go without as long as her grandchildren were happy.

My mom also loved her cats. She had so many cats at one time that she was running out of names for them. She cared for them like her children and would talk to them like they were humans. They would wait for her at the door just to shower her with love. She would have long talks with her sister, Cynthia about their cats and their personalities.

My mum never let anyone forget anyone. She would share stories of mommom, Vie. She would say, "I'm becoming just like mommy. Your grandmother used to do this all the time." Or the famous line me and Victoria both heard, "You're just like your fuckin' father!" Of course dad would chime in and say, "No, Rose. They're just like you!"

As my moms life comes to a close, I want to share all the great things about my mom. I don't have a ton of pictures of her with every single kid or person that she meant the world to but I'll do my best to update this and share all the photos.

I'm not sure if she'll ever hear or comprehend any of the last words but I would say,

We learned, mom. We won't abandon dad. Your grandchildren are going to have great lives. Your kitties will have good homes. We won't let these men just take advantage of us. We will fight too. I know you worry but we got this. We love you and we thank you for all of the love, support, and great memories.

I want to thank everyone who was there for her and us.