Brie's Gift

06/16/2026

Thanks for being a top engager and making it on to my weekly engagement list! 🎉 David Sheffey, Tamara Jones, Gladys Davis, Certified Knight, Tasha Grant

06/16/2026

The Funeral
I don't remember the service itself. I was there, but I was gone completely numb, completely shut down. Thankfully, the funeral home livestreamed it, so three months later, I sat on my couch and watched our daughter's funeral for the first time.

Everyone wore pink Brie's color. The men in pink ties, the women in pink dresses and white. Brielle's family came from everywhere South Carolina, Washington DC, Florida, Georgia, Virginia, and Alabama – to be there for her home going service.
My military brothers and sisters lined up on the outside the church, representing love and strength. They had our backs. My Commander came. He showed up for us. Those who couldn't make it watched it live with my parents and my sister, because my mom too was on hospice.
My pastor gave a beautiful eulogy. Family members spoke about who Brie was and what she meant to them. Her auntie Liz wrote a beautiful poem. Her cousins Natalie and Heather got up and shared what Brie meant to them and to all her cousins. And her siblings they wrote a beautiful speech together, calling themselves the Crazy Eight. There used to be eight. Now there's seven. Number five gained her wings. But the Crazy Eight will always be complete.
And then at the end, I broke. I looked out and I couldn't stand anymore. My battles picked me up, carried me outside, and i heard my pastor say, "Tracy, we got you."
In the middle of all that pain and grief, I saw something: I saw love. Real love. People who showed up for Brielle and her family because they cared.
But I need to tell you the truth. I'm not strong. I'm surviving. Some days I walk around putting on a fake smile, making people think everything's okay. There are other days I can't keep my eyes open because I am not sleeping. When most days, I'm dying inside. She was not supposed to go before me. We were supposed to see her working, striving, married, with babies. All of that got taken away. I still don't understand it. I miss her. I miss her soul. I miss her presence. I miss her joy and her smile.
I don't know how I'm still standing. I don't know how my family is still standing. We're not the first people to go through loss, but that doesn't make it any easier.
My faith tells me that Brie is standing in heaven, looking down, proud of me and her family. I have to believe that because if I don't, I won't make it. I have to believe she's watching us, proud of our strength, proud that we're keeping moving because she showed us what true strength and love look like.
And through Brie's Gift, through the work we do every day, we're keeping her alive. We're honoring her memory and her legacy.

06/10/2026

Planning the Funeral

Me and her dad couldn't fully plan Brielle's funeral. We just didn't have it in us to handle those decisions. Her stepmom and her aunties stepped in. They aided us in picking out the casket. They made the calls. They handled the details while we were numb.

I was there. I remember being there. I remember signing papers. But I don't remember most of conversations. I don't remember discussing the choices. I was physically present, but I wasn't really there not mentally, not emotionally. I couldn't engage.

The only thing I remember choosing was picking her dress and earrings.

Two weeks after she passed, I walked into the funeral home and saw her for the first time since she died. She was dressed in her graduation dress, lying in that coffin. It was like watching her die all over again. That unimaginable grief crashed down fresh. All the beautiful caskets and tributes in the world don't matter when what we really want is our daughter back. Our kids wanted their sister back. Her grandfather and Grandmother's wanted their granddaughter back. Her aunties and uncles wanted their niece back. Her cousins wanted their cousins back. But we couldn't get that.

And I knew was we would all have to relive that pain again on the day of her funeral.

06/09/2026

The Drive Home
After Brie passed, we had to handle the unimaginable. Call the funeral home. Call the insurance company. Figure out what was covered. Wait while they prepared her, for the morgue to come and pick her up. I never even thought I would ever see a morgue come and get any of my babies. Standing there, waiting. Numb. Daunting.
Then came the four hour drive home back to Albany.
I'd heard it a thousand times before on the news, or just people talking about families who lost children. I thought I could imagine what that pain would look or feel like. I was wrong. I had no clue. I wasn't even close.
On that drive, I was furious with God. How could he take my child? She was innocent. She hadn't even experienced life yet. How does she go from never being sick to dying? And the guilt how could I have not known she was sick. Why couldn't I save her? How could I not help her? I was supposed to be her protector. I was supposed to be the person that made her well. I was supposed to keep her from all harm. That year and on that day, I failed her.
That drive took me to a place I still have not come back from.

06/06/2026

06/06/2026

IT'S GO TIME!! 🚗💨 If you've been thinking about it, STOP THINKING AND START DRIVING! We are LIVE right now at Gieryic's Automotive Repair — 2401 Dawson Rd, Albany, GA!
The water's running, the team's ready, and every single car that pulls through is making a difference for leukemia patients and caregivers. This is what community looks like, y'all! 🧼✨
🦋 For Brielle. For the fighters. For EACH OTHER.
Get here NOW! Still can't make it? Donate right now: https://briesgift.harnessgiving.org/donate/ 💗
LET'S GOOOOO! 🙌🏾🎉"

06/05/2026

"TOMORROW IS THE DAY!! 🎊🚿 We are showing UP and showing OUT for Brie's Gift! Don't let us catch you with a dirty car and no excuse — we've got you covered AND you're helping change lives! 🧡
This one's for the fighters. This one's for the caregivers. This one's for Brielle. 🦋💗
🚗 Saturday, June 6th • 9:00 AM
📍 2401 Dawson Rd, Albany, GA
🌐 www.briesgift.org
Can't be there in person? Every dollar still makes a difference! 💕 Donate here: https://briesgift.harnessgiving.org/donate/
SPREAD THE WORD — share this post right now! Let's pack that lot! 🙏🏾"

06/04/2026

🚗💗
The weekend is almost here and WE ARE READY! 🙌🏾✨ Pull up Saturday morning and let us wash your car for a cause that means EVERYTHING! Every dollar supports leukemia patients and their caregivers — because together, we stand STRONGER! 💪🏾
🚗 Brie's Gift Donation Drive Car Wash
📅 Saturday, June 6th at 9:00 AM
📍 Gieryic's Automotive Repair — 2401 Dawson Rd, Albany, GA
🌐 www.briesgift.org
Can't make it in person? You can still show up for the cause! 💗 Donate here: https://briesgift.harnessgiving.org/donate/
Come out, bring your family, bring your friends, and bring your dirty car! See you Saturday! 🧼🫧💕"

06/04/2026

With Courtney Benson – I just got recognized as one of their top fans! 🎉