It’s been forty-four days since our lives changed. Forty-four days since my mother—an 82-year-old woman who spent her entire life pouring love into her family—was rushed to the hospital and placed on life support. Her lungs are failing. Without a ventilator, her oxygen levels drop to a critical 32%. She’s fighting to stay alive… and we’re fighting to stay with her.
She was transferred from Fort Smith to long-term care in Clarksville. And though it may be only miles apart on a map, those miles carry the weight of gas expenses, lost wages, food costs, and a never-ending list of daily necessities.
My father—her life companion—has refused to leave her side. He sleeps in a chair. He barely eats. He lives off whatever groceries we bring. The hospital cafeteria serves food he can’t digest, and yet he won’t complain. His only priority is her. That vow he made decades ago—to love in sickness and in health—is not just poetry. He’s living it now, with every minute he sits beside her bed.
My siblings and I rotate in and out, doing everything we can to be present. But we’re stretched thin. Emotionally, physically… financially. And still, we show up—because every time she opens her eyes and sees one of us, that flicker of recognition reminds us why this fight matters.
We are not asking for charity. We are asking for compassion.
We’re hoping to raise $3,500. This would cover basic needs: gas for daily travel, nutritious meals for our father, and the small necessities that allow us to care for her in dignity. This isn’t for comfort—it’s for presence. For the ability to simply be there. To brush her hair. Hold her hand. Speak softly when machines get loud. To remind her, again and again, that she’s not alone.
Time with her is slipping through our fingers—and we don’t know how many more days we’ll get. But what we do know is that each one counts.
So if you’ve ever loved someone so deeply it cracked your heart open… if you know what it feels like to hope for just one more good day… please help us hold on a little longer.
Any donation helps. Every share ripples. Every prayer lifts. From the depths of our hearts—thank you for being with us.