WASHINGTON — Geneva Weeks, a grandmother who lived in Northeast D.C., took custody of three of her great-grandchildren in 2019 when her granddaughter could no longer care for them.
“From babies to grand-babies to great grand-babies," Weeks said at the time, "I’ve been going and going for so long. My body is tired, but I’m not going to give up."
Now, the family told WUSA9 that she passed away last weekend.
Weeks didn’t have life insurance, so the family said that they will have to pay for her funeral out of pocket. They expressed gratitude to viewers who reached out to donate last year and said anyone who is interested in contributing to funeral expenses can send donations through Cash App to $SupremeEL9.
Her family said the three kids are now staying with her daughter.
A family court judge granted 69-year-old Weeks full custody of the three great-grandchildren, all younger than 10 years old, in February of 2019 after her granddaughter proved that she couldn't provide for her kids, according to Weeks.
The social worker with the grandchildren's school wrote to the judge, saying in part:
"The mental health team has tried for over a year to have the students evaluated and given medication to help them manage their severe Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), unspecified. However, Ms. Geneva Weeks has not been able to give consent for the students to receive the mental health support because she doesn't have custody. Furthermore, the mother has not addressed this issue, and the students' behaviors are getting worse."
Viewers from far and wide were moved by Weeks' story and decided to pitch in with donations. More than $5,000 was originally raised to pay for her rent by good samaritans, keeping her and the grandchildren out of a homeless shelter while she was alive.