A single mom from Oklahoma is planning her own funeral and raising money for her kids before her death, following a terminal cancer diagnosis.
Kaylin Gawf — mom to daughter Jace, 9, and son Memphis, 6 — created a GoFundMe to raise funds for her own funeral and end-of-life expenses while in hospice care, after what she said has been “a long battle with metastatic breast cancer that has spread to my brain.”
“This is the hardest thing I have ever faced,” Kaylin, 28, wrote. “My biggest fear isn’t dying; it’s leaving my children behind with added pain, stress and financial burden to my family when I’m gone.”
Three years ago, Kaylin was diagnosed with HER2+ breast cancer that metastasized to her lungs, bones and lymph nodes. By March 2023, the cancer spread to her brain, and Kaylin was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer and premeningeal disease (LMD).
Kaylin Gawf. GoFundMe
Kaylin has also been diagnosed with Cushing’s disease, which has led to congestive heart failure, two brain surgeries and significant weight gain.
“I truly believed I was going to beat cancer here on this earth,” Kaylin wrote in her GoFundMe post. “I never imagined I would hear the words, ‘There’s nothing more we can do for you.’ Just a few weeks before Christmas, I was told hospice would be calling my mom and me to set everything up. My world changed forever in that moment. I’m so heartbroken for my children and family.”
“I am so not ready to leave them just yet, but I want to do everything I can to protect them and ease their future, even when I’m no longer here,” she added.
After Kaylin created the GoFundMe fundraiser — with the hope of lifting some of the burden off of her children and family — her mother, Myra Gawf, opened up about the toll her diagnosis has taken on their family.
Kaylin Gawf. GoFundMe
“I can’t fix this. I have to let her fight this herself, and I can’t take it away from her,” Myra told Fox 8 Live. “It’s hard every day to have to sit and watch her go through that.”
“There’s just nothing they could do for her; it spread that much,” she continued. “They’ve already done five different cycles of chemotherapy, and there’s no more because her body can’t handle it. We thought we’d beat it. Now, we’re planning a funeral. So, it’s just heartbreaking.”
Myra also commended her daughter for wanting to do everything she can to provide financial support for her children while still maintaining a positive attitude through such a difficult time.
“She still wants to be able to look out for them and try to plan for their future, and I thought it was nice that she actually did that,” the mom said. “If she doesn’t complain for what she’s going through, what do we have to complain [about]? She inspires us all to do that, especially me. She’s my little hero is what she is.”
A single mom from Oklahoma is planning her own funeral and raising money for her kids before her death, following a terminal cancer diagnosis.
Kaylin Gawf — mom to daughter Jace, 9, and son Memphis, 6 — created a GoFundMe to raise funds for her own funeral and end-of-life expenses while in hospice care, after what she said has been “a long battle with metastatic breast cancer that has spread to my brain.”
“This is the hardest thing I have ever faced,” Kaylin, 28, wrote. “My biggest fear isn’t dying; it’s leaving my children behind with added pain, stress and financial burden to my family when I’m gone.”
Three years ago, Kaylin was diagnosed with HER2+ breast cancer that metastasized to her lungs, bones and lymph nodes. By March 2023, the cancer spread to her brain, and Kaylin was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer and premeningeal disease (LMD).
Kaylin Gawf. GoFundMe
Kaylin has also been diagnosed with Cushing’s disease, which has led to congestive heart failure, two brain surgeries and significant weight gain.
“I truly believed I was going to beat cancer here on this earth,” Kaylin wrote in her GoFundMe post. “I never imagined I would hear the words, ‘There’s nothing more we can do for you.’ Just a few weeks before Christmas, I was told hospice would be calling my mom and me to set everything up. My world changed forever in that moment. I’m so heartbroken for my children and family.”
“I am so not ready to leave them just yet, but I want to do everything I can to protect them and ease their future, even when I’m no longer here,” she added.
After Kaylin created the GoFundMe fundraiser — with the hope of lifting some of the burden off of her children and family — her mother, Myra Gawf, opened up about the toll her diagnosis has taken on their family.
Kaylin Gawf. GoFundMe
“I can’t fix this. I have to let her fight this herself, and I can’t take it away from her,” Myra told Fox 8 Live. “It’s hard every day to have to sit and watch her go through that.”
“There’s just nothing they could do for her; it spread that much,” she continued. “They’ve already done five different cycles of chemotherapy, and there’s no more because her body can’t handle it. We thought we’d beat it. Now, we’re planning a funeral. So, it’s just heartbreaking.”
Myra also commended her daughter for wanting to do everything she can to provide financial support for her children while still maintaining a positive attitude through such a difficult time.
“She still wants to be able to look out for them and try to plan for their future, and I thought it was nice that she actually did that,” the mom said. “If she doesn’t complain for what she’s going through, what do we have to complain [about]? She inspires us all to do that, especially me. She’s my little hero is what she is.”
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