MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Many of you were inspired by our story about a Melrose High School graduate who is struggling to provide a proper funeral for his mother.
Now you’re chipping in to help.
Dellarontay Readus is scheduled to start classes this fall at Stanford University, where he has a full scholarship.
But his mother Lynn Readus passed away unexpectedly and without life insurance. As any caring son would do, he was willing to do anything to see that she had a proper burial.
Things are now turning around for the better thanks to the monetary donations of friends and total strangers.
“Somebody on here donated $1,000,” Dellarontay said. “That was like 200 donations ago.”
Prayers are being answered for the 18-year-old and his family. Donations to help defray funeral costs for his late mother are flooding the GoFundMe website.
“It just blew up,” Dellarontay said. “More and more people kept donating. The current total is about $15,000, when we had originally said it would never get that high.”
Since we talked with Dellarontay on Thursday afternoon, the amount has climbed past $19,000.
When his mother passed away Aug. 9, it appeared Dellarontay might have to use savings to help bury her.
“Even if I was to give away everything I have currently, it still wouldn’t be enough,” he said. “So it was just like a really, really, really bad situation.”
Since our story aired, there has been a huge outpouring of financial and emotional support to help the Readus family through their time of sorrow.
Dellarontay’s sister Tiana Leveston flew in from Chicago and said the donations will help ease a very stressful situation.
“We’ve read messages from people all the way from Memphis to Montana to every different state, pretty much,” she said. “To have that support from so many people, some people that knew us and some people that never met us, you know.”
The Readus family will now have money to provide a proper burial for Lynn with enough left to purchase a gravestone as well.
Dellarontay plans to be at Stanford on Sept. 13th for orientation and the start of a busy college life.
But it’s something that just won’t be the same with his mother gone, he said.
“It’s going to have to be an everyday thing. You know, waking up and knowing I can’t speak to my momma, can’t hear from my momma,” he said.
Funeral arrangements are still incomplete.
If you want to contribute to the Lynn Readus fund, visit the GoFundMe page they set up.
