Seven kids lost mom to cancer, family loses home

On Monday, my brother-in-law, Anthony, had to hold his seven heartbroken children in a hospital room while their mother was taken off of life support. After two years of watching cancer dull the shine of their once vibrant and energetic mom, they had to tell her goodbye.

Their mother is my sweet baby sister Melissa.

Trying to help the smaller kids understand that Mommy isn’t coming home and watching Melissa’s oldest daughter cry and wail uncontrollably as the machines were turned off was the most horrific thing I’ve ever experienced in my life.

While fighting the cancer, Melissa was getting the family into their forever home. She was moving them to a place with better schools and more room so she knew they would be secure when she had to leave them. Their approval papers were ready to be signed last Thursday but just hours before, Anthony was laid off. The cancer had progressed to every part of her body, including her liver. Due to the tumors in her liver, her blood was unable to clot properly. On Saturday, June 11th, she had a massive brain hemorrhage that left her with no brain activity. At that point, she was put on life support.

Even my incredibly brave sister, the strongest woman I’ve ever met, couldn’t fight long enough to get her babies settled. Now, on top of the profound grief of losing their mom, the family has to be out of their rental on July 15th. The kids range from 13 down to 2 years old. Losing their mother is scary and traumatic but having to leave the house they are in with nowhere to go is too much for these beautiful children to have to deal with.

I love my nieces and nephews so much. They are amazing, smart, wonderful kids, and I’m asking for help to ease some of their burdens. Anthony is a hardworking man, he’s always had a job, and he is struggling with every aspect of his life without Melissa there to help him. She was his rock, she was his whole world, she could do anything, and he is lost without her right now. Because she’s been in the hospital so often, her youngest children are still asking when mommy will come home.