Mother dies of cancer leaving family of 11 children

DETROIT (FOX 2) - A family of 11 children just lost their mom to stage 4 breast cancer and have to bury her.

But now they also have to look after the little ones in their family as well, and with the oldest become something like parents themselves.

This past Saturday their mom Rashida Lawson died. Her 11 children range in age from 23 years old to just 4.

Mom and dad aren't here anymore to hug them or wipe their tears. Their sister and brother have to do that.

"We can't tell them 'Hey guys it's going to be okay, she's coming home.' and I have to be honest with them," said daughter Tamera Stone.

"Some people still have their parents and tell you it is going to be okay, it's not," said son Kenneth Stone. "We don't know it's going to be okay. We don't have our parents anymore we just have each other."

The older children who can step up, must. Destiny Stone will now raise three of her younger siblings.

"Honestly I don't think they can handle that responsibility," she said. "I think I can, sorry."

"It's a lot on her shoulders it's a lot on everybody's shoulders right now," said Kenneth. "We don't know what we have to do. We're just lost."

"She was the glue that held us together," said Tamera. "She didn't want to break us down. She didn't want us worrying about her."

But there was a health problem the 44-year-old was hiding.

"Her chest was leaking," Tamera said. "She thought it was milk and stuff. We were like ma, you've got to go get this checked out, this is very serious."

It was stage 4 breast cancer.

"She was okay and a week later, boom," Tamera said.

On Saturday the call came to come down to the hospital, things look bad.

"It was the scariest phone call I ever got in my life," Tamera said.

Rashida would die that morning. Her heart stopped. The children she loved need to grieve, but they also need to bury her, and feed and take care of themselves.

"We're battling with the financial problems right now," Tamera said. "And considering that school is still in, we have to pick up the pieces where our mom left off at. Right now we're on our own."

Rashida also had three grandchildren, one on the way and a nephew she was caring for before she passed.

To donate for the children, CLICK HERE for the GoFundMe page.