An 11-year-old boy has been forced to hold up a heartbreaking sign by a railway track to raise funds for his own mom's funeral.
Wearing a black t-shirt, green shorts and white sliders, Kayden Ely stood out in his small town in Lindale for two days, holding a sign that pleaded: "Please help bury my Mama!"
His mom Shannon Mount, aged 45, suffered cardiac arrest on July 8 and was put on life support until her death on July 18, as reported by WSBTV. A GoFundMe set up to help raise the money reads: "Shannon did not have life insurance, she has an 11 year old that is left without the only thing he ever knew."
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Shannon's boyfriend, Billy Upton, performed CPR until paramedics arrived and managed to revive her. She remained on life support until she passed away a week later. Now her family have been left desperately trying to raise money for the funeral, including by selling hot dogs, drinks and even placing collection jars around town.
Kaitlyn Ross, a journalist with 11Alive, reported that a kind soul has donated a burial plot and people have called the funeral home to cover all of her expenses. Their GoFundMe page has raised almost $27,000, surpassing their $7,100 goal, and any additional funds will be used for Kayden's future needs.
Thanking the donors, an update from organiser reads: "Kayden had a mission and he went on it full force, with all the extra donations, his aunt Jessica Davis and I would like to make sure Kayden gets to do things children his age gets to do, sports, camps, etc… today we took him to Walmart so he could get a bed set and he got a few things he needed.
"When we were leaving his aunt asked him, why are you so happy and he replied.. 'me and mama didn’t have much money we were poor, and I didn’t get to go buy stuff like this' and all this baby got was a bed set, tooth brush, pillows and pillow cases. He is so thankful. Thank yall for making him smile."
With his mom's death, Kayden is now being looked after by his cousin. Shannon is remembered as a loving woman who deeply cared for her friends, family, and even strangers. Her obituary reads; "She never met a stranger and tried to help everyone she could, even when she was wandering, never really settling down.
"A drifter by nature, she felt at home everywhere and nowhere. Shannon was a straight shooter. She didn't sugarcoat anything and was always ready to tell you off if you needed it. She loved her kids fiercely, even when life got messy.
"She wouldn't want anyone to dress up her life to be what it wasn't. She was raw, real, and unapologetic. She wasn't a perfect mother or housewife, but she tried her best. Shannon was a rambler, a soul always searching, and she lived her truth, no matter how rough the edges were."
Mount's funeral is set for July 27 at the Good Shepherd Funeral Home chapel.
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