A woman in Des Moines, Iowa, has stepped in to care for several young family members grieving the loss of their mother.
When Deb Simmons’ sister passed away, she decided to adopt her six children, KCCI reported Thursday.
The children’s ages range from six to 19-years-old. Simmons knew she would be busy but was determined to help them rebuild their lives on her own.
Their mother, Jamie, passed away in January. A week after she underwent major surgery, she was rushed to the hospital.
“I just raced up there. They let me see her, me and her oldest daughter, for a brief moment, and I just yelled in her ear, ‘sister you gotta fight. Don’t give up,'” Simmons recalled. “Massive heart attack. Thirty-five years old, and she left these six babies here with us.”
Simmons also cares for her parents who are recovering from the coronavirus.
According to her obituary on the Henderson’s Highland Park Funeral Home website, Jamie “loved God with all of her heart, mind, and soul. She followed God faithfully by praying, preaching, studying, and attending services.”
The site also included her six children and Simmons on the list of loved ones she left behind:
Above all Jamie loved her family. She loved her parents with all her heart. She also enjoyed the notion that to them she could do no wrong. As for motherhood, Jamie poured her love and affection into her children with equal if not more intensity. She cherished every moment that she was able to spend time with them and the rest of her family and friends.
Now, the community has offered her children much-needed support during such a difficult time.
Paparazzi Hair Studio and Spa planned a curbside drive on Sunday from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. so neighbors can donate clothing or gift cards for the children and funds can also be donated to Affinity Credit Union’s “Jamie’s Kids” account, according to the KCCI article.
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