An 11-year-old boy in Georgia was spotted at the side of the road holding a heartbreaking sign trying to raise money for his mom's funeral.
In the small town of Lindale, Georgia, 11-year-old Kayden Ely was holding the heart-wrenching sign by the railroad track.
It read: "Please help bury my Mama!" as reported by WSBTV.
Shannon Mount, 45, passed away on July 18 after suffering cardiac arrest at her home on July 8. Despite efforts by her boyfriend, Billy Upton, who performed CPR until paramedics arrived and revived her, Mount required life support and did not survive.
Mount's sudden death left Ely without his mother and the family struggling to cover funeral expenses due to her lack of life insurance.
A GoFundMe page set up for Ely explained that he was left "without the only thing he ever knew."
For two days, Ely stood by the railroad tracks holding his poignant sign, but he was not alone for long. Moved by his plight, community members rallied around him, selling hot dogs and drinks to raise money.
The acts of kindness extended further when an anonymous donor provided a burial plot for Mount, as reported by 11Alive.
The crowdfunding effort, started by Mount’s cousin Jennifer Fife, set a goal of $7,000 but quickly surpassed it, raising $66,000 at the time of writing.
"Kayden had a mission and he went on it full force, with all the extra donations, his aunt Jessica Davis and I would like to make sure Kayden gets to do things children his age gets to do, sports, camps, etc," the page read.
"Today we took him to Walmart so he could get a bed set and he got a few things he needed."
It continued: "When we were leaving his aunt asked him, why are you so happy and he replied.. 'me and mama didn’t have much money we were poor, and I didn’t get to go buy stuff like this' and all this baby got was a bed set, tooth brush, pillows and pillow cases.
"He is so thankful. Thank yall for making him smile."
The page also states that anything extra will go towards Ely's future college fund.
Mount's funeral is scheduled for July 27 at the Good Shepherd Funeral Home chapel.
She is survived by her sons, Chance Smith, Austin Ross, and Kayden Ely, her daughters, Tabitha Ross and Destiny Ross, and a grandchild, Kolton Turpin.
Remembered as a "straight shooter" who deeply cared for her friends and family, Mount's obituary reflects her candid and loving nature.
"She didn’t sugarcoat anything and was always ready to tell you off if you needed it. She loved her kids fiercely, even when life got messy," family members shared.
"She wouldn’t want anyone to dress up her life to be what it wasn’t. She was raw, real, and unapologetic. She wasn’t a perfect mother or housewife, but she tried her best."
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