- On Monday, KRIS 6 News reported about Olga Guerra, a well-known Family Market IGA employee's whose son died suddenly.
- Community members came to support her by fund raising for funeral expenses because she can not afford it.
- On Monday night, a member of the Patrice Adams foundation came forward and expressed the desire to pay for the cremation of Olga's son.
- The foundation will cover the full cost of the cremation and a personalized urn for Olga's son, Juan Fransisco Collins, in a few weeks.
On Monday, KRIS 6 News reported about Olga Guerra, a well-known Family Market IGA employee who has been working there as a store clerk and department manager for two decades.Her son, Juan Francicso "Pancho" Collins, died suddenly over the weekend. Community members in Port Aransas came to support Olga by fund raising for Juan's funeral expenses, which she said she could not afford. After Olga's story aired on Monday afternoon, a member of the Patrice Adams Foundation reached out to KRIS 6 News reporter Erin Holly, expressing the desire to assist Olga and her family by paying for the cremation of Olga's son, Juan.
“Actually, I was watching the KRIS 6 News yesterday, and we were watching the story, and tears start flowing, and I just had to reach out. You know, KRIS 6 always brings good stories," Rochelle Spieler, the founder of Patrice Adams Foundation said. "And, so we just wanted to reach out to that family, and so we called the newsroom and wanted to make sure that that family got the help that they needed."
The Patrice Adams Foundation was started four years ago in memory of Rochelle Spieler's daughter, Patrice Adams, who passed away in 2015. The mission of the Patrice Adams Foundation is "to assist, support, and provide financial assistance to grieving families who cannot provide the Final Farewell to their deceased child or loved one."
When Olga and her loved ones found out about Rochelle and her foundation's kindness and willingness to help, they were overcome with tears of happiness and gratitude.
"We've cried as many grateful tears as we've cried sad ones today," Julie Johnson, Olga's close family friend, said.
The Patrice Adams Foundation will cover the cremation cost and a personalized urn for Olga's son, Juan. This is what she wanted to do to lay her son to rest.
"Since Olga chose to have her son cremated, we're making sure that her son is cremated, and we're going to purchase a nice urn also. You know, whatever his favorite color was, whatever her color is, you know, we want to accommodate her in any way that we can and get it personalized to make her happy with her last memories of her son," Spieler said.
Spieler and the people of the Patrice Adams Foundation believe that everyone deserves a proper farewell.
"You know, it doesn't matter how rich, poor, what color, creed, religion, whatever. You should be able to put your child, especially, away in a proper way," Spieler said.
The cremation of Olga's son, Juan Fransisco Collins, will occur in about 3-5 weeks after an autopsy is complete.
If you've lost a loved one and are struggling to pay to lay them to rest, more information about the Patrice Adams Foundation is available here.
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