As coronavirus vaccines become available to more people around the country, the hope is that this pandemic will finally come to an end soon. But returning to normalcy will be difficult for who’ve seen irreversible damage come to their lives. That’s the case for Memphis native Vickie Quarles, a mother of five daughters whose husband, Theodis Ray Quarles, passed away from COVID-19. Vickie had a GoFundMe set up by her “dear friend” DeQuanda Smith and it caught the attention of Taylor Swift and her mother, who made a generous donation of $50,000.
The GoFundMe’s description revealed Vickie’s husband passed away exactly one week before Christmas. It also shared a sad note about Vickie and Theodis’ last interaction. “When the paramedics arrived to the Quarles’ home to transport Theodis to the hospital for breathing difficulties, Vicki wasn’t allowed to accompany her husband due to quarantine restrictions,” it read. “Little did she know that this would be her final engagement with her best friend.”
Taylor and her mom’s donation helped push the GoFundMe nearly $12,000 past its goal of $50,000. This is not the first time in recent months that the singer has helped out a family in need. Back in December, she gave $13,000 each to a pair of mothers, Nikki Cornwell of Nashville and Shelbie Selewski from Michigan, who were struggling to pay their bills.