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DENVER -- A Colorado family struggled to find a way to honor a loving wife and mother as they couldn't afford a final resting place after she passed away.
Tin Aye worked at the JBS meatpacking plant in Greeley when she contracted COVID-19 in late March. She spent more than 50 days in the ICU before she passed away the evening of May 17.
Aye was a longtime employee at the plant. A refugee, she moved to the United States to give her children a better life. Denver7 previously interviewed her daughter, San Twin, for a story about a recent OSHA fine against JBS for unsafe working conditions at the plant. During that interview, she revealed the family was struggling to afford a headstone and Denver7 wanted to help.
"Because my family, we love my mom so much and then we want to have a memory place for her," said Twin.
Viewers donated to Denver7 Gives and the response was overwhelming. Through those donations, the family was able to pick out a beautiful place at Fairmount Cemetery.
"We loved it and I wanted to say thank you to everyone and thank you to you and your team for helping my family and my mom," said Twin.
When the team at Fairmount Cemetery found out about the effort, they waived fees and covered the engraving costs. Their generosity will allow a portion of the donations to go directly to the family.
