ORRUM — Most people see chocolate as a decadent and delicious delight.
Kathy Bailey Brown sees it as a vehicle to ease the burden on her three daughters when she dies, which will not be long. She prays it will be after she can hold her two grandchildren yet to be born.
For several years and throughout her illness, the 45-year-old has sold home-made chocolate-covered strawberries to supplement her income. Now she is raising money for her funeral so her daughters don’t have to pay that bill.
“I just don’t want them to have to worry about that expense,” Brown said. “I’m trying to take care of that now.”
Afflicted with a rare form of cancer, she is determined to defy some tough odds. Brown has been given a few months, perhaps only a few weeks, to live but her attention is where it’s always been throughout her struggle — her family.
It was a Valentine’s Day gift in 2012 for her daughters that first got her into chocolate-covered strawberries. Marriage brought the native of San Diego, Calif., to Robeson County, but her 18-year marriage ended in divorce.
She had learned recently how to dip strawberries while working at the deli at Walmart.
“I thought, I’m not going to buy something for my kids for Valentine’s Day, I’m going to make them something. So I made these chocolate-covered strawberries,” Brown said.
They were a hit with her girls, Kelcey, Karlee and Khloe.
In June 2012, Brown was diagnosed with appendiceal cancer, and the fight for her life began. Things had already been tough financially for the single mom who often worked two or three jobs at the same time, but she wanted to provide the best life she could for her daughters.
Her daughter Khloe asked her to make them some more strawberries for the next Valentine’s Day. Brown said yes.
Khloe said, “Mom, you should sell these.”
Brown said she wasn’t sure people would want them, but she went along with the idea and the first year she sold about 70 dozen chocolate-covered strawberries for $7 per dozen.
The next year, her daughters lobbied for it again, and they sold about 500 dozen for $10 a dozen. That allowed her to donate some of the proceeds to Gibson Cancer Center in Lumberton, which has a charitable arm that provides food for families of cancer treatment patients.
“We were able to raise enough money to give part of the proceeds to help feed 16 families,” Brown said.
They have continued to raise money during the holidays by selling the sweet treats, but things are slowing down for her. In the past few months she has stopped being able to work. She also is about to lose her health insurance.
Her two oldest daughters are pregnant. Kelcey is due to give birth to a girl in mid-September. Karlee’s daughter is due in October.
“That’s my goal, to be here so I can hold my grandbabies at least once and tell them I love them,” Brown said tearfully.
And she wants her grandsons Kolton, 2, and Ayden, 3, to remember her.
Before Mother’s Day, Brown became sick, but she had orders to fill.
“My daughters just jumped right in and got the orders taken care of,” Brown said. “It’s just a family thing.”
She has kept prices at $10 per dozen.
“Everybody kept saying, ‘How come you don’t charge more?’ Just with Hurricane Matthew hitting and not a lot of people have a lot of money to buy nice gifts — some don’t even have homes. I couldn’t see us raising the price,” Brown said.
She is grateful to the many repeat customers she has had over the last few years, Brown said.
A fundraiser for Brown is planned this week. Susan Walker, owner of Candy Sue’s Restaurant at 1810 N. Pine St., will host a benefit for Brown on Thursday from 5 until 7 p.m. During those two hours, half of the proceeds from each sale will go to a fund to help Brown, Walker said. There will be $6 spaghetti plates available or patrons can order at the restaurant’s cafeteria line.
They will auction off a 25-layer chocolate cake and other items. Other business owners who would like to donate something for the silent auction may call the restaurant at 910-739-3430.
Brown is a former employee of Walker’s and she is a friend.
“She’s always tried to look after her kids. I’ve never seen anybody who loved their kids quite like she does,” Walker said. “I probably have half a dozen people a day ask me about her.”
Anyone who would like to help can go to Brown’s GoFundMe account at https://www.gofundme.com/4ajhcaqc.
