The death of a parent is a tough burden on even the most mature of hearts, but 11-year-old Kayden Ely proved to be as strong as any of them at his young age. He stood for two days at the side of a road in Lindale, Georgia, holding a sign that read “Please Help Bury My Mama.”
The boy, who comes from a poor family, had no choice but to share his pain with others to cover expenses for the funeral, as his mother had no life insurance.
Kayden’s cousin came up with the idea to set up a GoFundMe page with an initial goal of $7,100, but the moving story made strangers rally behind the boy, and the amount was surpassed almost tenfold to more than $66,000 at the time of writing.
A boy from Georgia broke the hearts of his community as he stood by the road for two days to raise money to pay for his mother’s funeral
Shannon Mount passed away on July 18, 2024. The 45-year-old reportedly suffered a cardiac arrest at her home just ten days before on July 8, 2024.
Her boyfriend desperately tried to save her by performing CPR until paramedics arrived, but the sudden loss of heart function was too much. Even after being put on life support, Mount did not survive.
Shannon’s unexpected passing left her three sons, Chance Smith, Austin Ross, and young Kayden Ely, as well as her two daughters, Tabitha Ross and Destiny Ross, without a mother and with no way to cover the expenses of her burial after the devastating financial blow of her 10-days in emergency care.
Jennifer Fife, cousin to the late Shannon, suggested setting up a GoFundMe page, but it was young Kayden who first came up with the idea of standing on the roadside with a sign and a simple plea: “Please Help Bury My Mama.”
Faced with unexpected expenses due to Shannon’s hospitalization and lack of life insurance, the family came up with the idea to set up a GoFundMe page to cover the burial ceremony
“Shannon did not have life insurance, she has an 11-year old that is left without the only thing he ever knew. He has been standing on the side of the road for two days with a sign to help bury his mama. Please if y’all can help,” wrote Jennifer on the website.
Moved by the boys’ courage and earnestness, more than 1,600 people came to his aid, donating close to $67,000 to date.
“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,” Jennifer added to the campaign description.
“Thank you all for making him smile,” she continued. “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.”
Jennifer and Jessica also confirmed that the extra dollars will go toward Kayden’s college fund.
“She loved her kids fiercely,” affirmed the family on the mother’s obituary after successfully paying for her funeral
Video credits: Jennifer Fife
In life, Shannon is said by her family to have been “like a wild card in a rigged game.” She was no stranger to pain, having already experienced the loss of a daughter in Aries Mount, her best friend Alexis Pendleton, and her brother TJ Harcourt.
In spite of all this, her family notes that she remained strong and was an honest and loving person.
“Shannon was a straight shooter. She didn’t sugarcoat anything and was always ready to tell you off if you needed it,” they wrote on her obituary page.
“She loved her kids fiercely, even when life got messy. Her dog Mutt was her loyal companion, and the ‘ding ding’ machines were her guilty pleasure, feeding her love for money and the thrill of winning.”
According to insurance companies, the cost of burying a loved one averages more than $8,000, with prices rising steadily in the last decades
The expenses of burying a loved one are quite steep. According to the Lincoln Heritage Life Insurance Company, the average funeral costs between $7,000 and $12,000. The viewing, burial, service fees, transport, casket, embalming, and other prep are included in this price.
Cremation does little to reduce the cost, saving the family of the deceased only $1,000 on average.
The company also notes on its website: “The average funeral cost has been rising steadily since the 1980’s. Today, it’s not uncommon for the average funeral to cost up to $9,000 or more depending on whether the body is buried or cremated. Caskets and urns can cost thousands of dollars alone depending on the style and material used.”
People across social media platforms were moved by the story, with many sending their love and prayers to the boy and his family.
Video credits: Jennifer Fife
“No child should have to worry about helping pay for a funeral ever! I’m glad that he was able to get help from their community and truly hope he has the best support to help him get through this tragic ordeal,” said one commenter.
“I’m so happy the local people rallied around him and I believe I heard everything has been taken care of,” shared another, relieved at hearing of the campaign’s success.
“Sending love and prayers, I truly hope the community supports this beautiful child,” added one. “It’s hard enough losing your mom, but then you have to survive in this real world.”
“God bless this courageous young man, may God bless him with continuing strength to prevail when there seems to be no way. Lord watch over and give him peace,” said another, offering a prayer.
With expenses covered, Shannon’s funeral will take place on Saturday, July 27, 2024, at the Good Shepherd Funeral Home chapel.
“I’m so happy people rallied around him,” people were relieved to see the success of the campaign, with many wishing Kayden a good future
