By Marie Gilmore
As Lithia mom Tawana Goldring was fighting her last days in Hospice losing her battle with Stage 4 Liver and Colon cancer, her 19-year-old was finishing his own battle with with recently diagnosed Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Goldring was surrounded by family and friends on Wednesday, September 2, when she passed. Her son, Phillip Fobbs, is expected to recover from his cancer treatment and is now the sole provider for his 13-year-old sister Ariana.The family relocated to FishHawk just a year ago to find a new life for themselves and have no other family in Florida.
Instead, they want to return to Maryland where an aunt and grandmother await. In addition, for religious reasons, the family wants to bury Goldring in Maryland and needs to arrange transport.
Phillip is left to close the family home, settle up affairs and move he and his sister. There are no funds remaining after an aggressive 6-month battle for both mother and son that left the family without savings or jobs.
Immediately, Victoria Stone-Blevins, owner of Victoria’s School of Dance in Riverview, where Phillip dances competitively and maintained his dance classes and fees throughout the process, wanted to help. She linked the family as of today-Wednesday, September 3 with Kelly Rowjohn and the Friends of FishHawk, Liz Brewer and the Brandon Foundation and Melanie Brockmeier with the Operation Lotus Foundation. Clubs and organizations at Newsome High School, where Ariana is a Freshman, have pledged to assist and the community is coming together to assist the family.
A GoFundMe account has been set up for funeral and moving expenses.
“Though it was short, we were blessed to have been a part of their beautiful family and life,” described Blevins. “I was fortunate enough to have met Phillip, his 13-year-old sister Ariana and mother a year ago this week. They moved down here from Maryland to start a new life.”
To support the family, contact Blevins at Victoria’s School of Dance or visit http://www.gofundme.com/
