SURPRISE SQUAD: Help for children who lost mom to cancer

ANSONIA, Conn. (WFSB) - Two teens lost their only guardian to cancer and are struggling to keep their childhood home.

For the past two months, 18 and 16 year old siblings from Ansonia have been trying to mourn their mom while also paying a mortgage and handling the adult bills left behind.

“She was the light of the room, everybody loved her. She was just so positive you would never know she was going through the breast cancer,” said Kaylene Kezer, 18-year-old.

“It was very unexpected. I remember I was sitting on my couch and she told me the doctor that diagnosed her said she had patients that had lived 20 years or longer with the cancer. So that kind of gave me a little hope, but in the back of my head I had the thought of the chance of her passing away,” said Anthony Kezer, 16-year-old.

Lauren Kezer was fighting an internal battle. However, externally she made sure her family felt joy and love.

“She just had such a big heart. It sucks that it had to happen to her, that she had to pass away,” said Anthony.

In September, Kaylene and Anthony lost their mom after her kidney and liver failed.

“Within a day I was responsible for a couple thousand a month in bills,” said Kaylene.

Kaylene just graduated high school and works as a machinist. Anthony is still in school and works part time.

“Go to work every day, come home, and have a house to take care of,” Kaylene explained.

Their teenage years are now filled with debt, utilities, and a mortgage.

But the kids have hope that they will be able to stay in the place their mom left behind.

“If we do move we are gonna have to go to new schools and meet new people that we don’t really know. I have a great job that I don’t want to lose. We both grew up here in Ansonia, this is all we know,” Kaylene said

If you would like to help Kaylene and Anthony keep their childhood home, CLICK HERE.

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