11-year-old didn't have money to bury his mom so he made a signboard — it helped him pull off a miracle
Determination and persistence can help a person pull off almost everything. There are heaps of challenges before one can complete their mission. Nevertheless, there is always a way out and 11-year-old Kayden Ely proved just that, per Goalcast. The boy’s mom, Shannon Mount, unexpectedly passed away and the boy was left with his four siblings. Having a bleak financial status, Ely couldn’t even afford to bury his beloved mother. However, he was not one to settle for the inconvenience. With the support of loved ones, he came up with a plan and managed to pull through to honor his late mother with the ideal last rites.
Mount had passed away from a cardiac arrest after being on life support for several days. The boy tried his best to raise funds and go around town for money but it didn’t help much. His relative, Jennifer, tried to make ends meet. However, with a huge hospital bill, no insurance and no funeral expenses to arrange for, the boy didn’t even have the luxury to mourn and grieve his heart-wrenching loss. In a post on Facebook, Jennifer shared his troubling story, “The pain I have watched this baby go through is heartbreaking. I can tell him all day it’s going to be alright but it’s not, she was his best friend.” She requested prayers and help for the boy and his family.
Jennifer set up a GoFundMe to help raise money for the boy and his siblings. Determined Ely did not give up and created a homemade sign in hopes that people would come to his aid. The sign read, “Please help me bury my mama.” The 11-year-old stood with the sign for two days, acquiring as much help as he could. With Ely’s never-give-up spirit and the GoFundMe, they were able to raise over $80,000 for the funeral and other expenses. This amount was more than enough to bid Mount a peaceful goodbye and allow the little boy to grieve in peace.
There was a generous extra amount that was reserved for looking after Ely and his siblings and providing a decent life and future for them. Jennifer shared a follow-up post thanking people for their outpouring of support and sharing Ely’s delight. “Kayden is beyond happy. His mission was made possible by you guys! We love you all very much and the way the community came together and showed him how caring and loving they are means the world to him!” she wrote in the caption.
She added an update on the GoFundMe page revealing how impactful these donations were. She wrote, “When we were leaving his aunt asked him, ‘Why are you so happy?' and he replied, ‘Mama and me 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, toothbrush, pillows and pillowcases. He is so thankful. Thank you for making him smile.” From being knee-deep in expenses, the family was able to get out of their struggle and respectfully bid the late mom goodbye, thanks to the generosity of humanity.