CHESAPEAKE, Va - Leaders from the Vertical Church in Chesapeake said they are keeping a woman's dream alive after she passed away.
News 3 first introduced you to Shelli Carrington on December 20.
Shelli Carrington
The stage 4 breast cancer patient was suffering an infection but was hoping to get out of the hospital.
Leaders from her church were putting all of the Christmas offerings this year towards a trip for her and her kids.
It was Shelli’s lifelong dream to take her kids, ages 11, 20 and 24, to Disney World.
She was diagnosed with breast cancer three years ago.
“She got an infection and just wasn’t able to fight it off and took a very sudden and dramatic turn,” said Brian Owens, the lead organizational pastor at Vertical Church.
Sadly, the 49-year-old mother of three passed away on Sunday after complications from the infection, according to church leaders.
Owens said Shelli told him before she died that no matter what happened to her, she wanted her kids to take the trip.
“They had never been able to take a vacation as a family, and it was really important to her that they get to do that,” said Owens.
“The community response to the initial story a couple weeks ago was incredible. We not only met our goal for $10,000, but we actually surpassed it,” said Josh Butcher, the leader teaching pastor at the church.
Butcher and Owens said Shelli’s kids, along with another relative, are going on the trip to remember their mom. They hope to take the vacation this February or March.
“When they’re laughing and having a good time, they’re going to remember their mom and everything that she meant to them,” said Owens. "She was a great lady.”
They said money left over will be put towards Shelli's 11-year-old son's college education.
They are also raising money to help pay for her funeral expenses.
Click here to visit Vertical Church's Facebook page.
