Eulalia Gaston was never supposed to leave this soon.
The mother of six had work to do.
Besides being the steel-minded support system that held her family together after her 27-year marriage ended six years ago, she had a new grandbaby to attend to.
With the pandemic spreading across the country, she approached getting vaccinated in a manner that was cautious, not unlike many other Americans.
“I’ll get the shot after the FDA approves the vaccine,” she told Tre, Deaza and Railyne, three of her six children.
When she developed a cough in mid-July, she wasn’t too worried because she was relatively healthy, outside of high blood pressure.
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She had contracted COVID-19. A longtime independent contractor, Eulalia had multiple talents. She was a hairstylist, interior designer and a fabulous cook, who often served up her famous made-from-scratch pancakes and eggs to visitors who stayed the night.
She avoided going to the hospital at first because she didn’t have health insurance. The hope was she would beat the virus and return to life as she knew it.
Season for Caring: Gaston-Ellis family looks to stick together after COVID takes mother
The Gaston-Ellis siblings are raising their younger siblings after their mom died from COVID-19 in August.
Nicole Villalpando and Cedric Golden, Austin American-Statesman
As her condition worsened, she checked into a hospital on Aug. 4, but by then, it was too late. She passed away two week later, six days before the FDA approved the Pfizer vaccine.
Eulalia was 54.
“It was the shock of my life,” Tre Gaston-Ellis says of his mother’s death. “The shock of my life.”
As they cope with the loss of the family matriarch, the Gaston-Ellis children are leaning on the lessons she taught them: the value of hard work, respect for one’s fellow man and the importance of remaining close to family in good times and bad.
Tre, 26, was already the man of the house and now he’s charged with not only providing leadership and mental strength in a time of grief but also having to double as a brother and father figure to the two youngest — Kalieve and Kaiden — who are a senior and sophomore at Cedar Ridge High School.
When Eulalia Gaston passed, the plan was to live in her rental home and take over the lease, but that fell through. They are living in three different households that are within driving range.
Kalieve, a 17-year-old aspiring musician, lives in Pflugerville with Tre, his partner Shantel Isaac, 24, who works as a hairstylist and their 4-month old son Malakhi. Kaiden, 16, lives with Railyne Gaston-Ellis, 22, in Round Rock, while Deaza Gaston-Ellis, 25, lives with a family friend the kids call Aunt Val. Their father lives in San Diego but does visit.
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Tre Gaston-Ellis cuts hair at Delton’s Pecan Street Barber Shop and is seeking an overnight job as a stocker at Walmart. Deaza Gaston-Ellis is between jobs after working at Wells Fargo then as a bartender. Railyne Gaston-Ellis is a teacher’s assistant at a local daycare. Kalieve works at H-E-B. Kaiden is a passionate writer who plans to work as an obstetrician-gynecologist. The oldest sibling, LaRayia, lives and works in Atlanta.
The Austin-based members see one another all the time, and hugs and kisses are part of the greeting. Cookouts, bonfires, cards, dominoes and the occasional marathon Monopoly game play the background to a real lovefest.
“This is such a special family,” says Hospice Austin Communications Coordinator Melinda Marble. “They treat one another with great respect and affection and are incredibly close.”
During a visit to Tre Gaston-Ellis’ apartment in late October, they all pointed to Deaza Gaston-Ellis when asked which sibling is most like their mother.
“It’s the tardiness,” Kaiden says.
“They both have to explain everything in detail,” Railyne Gaston-Ellis says.
Deaza Gaston-Ellis beamed as laughter filled the air.
For young people who are suddenly without their spiritual compass, they are adjusting as well as could be expected, though some days are tougher than others.
Eulalia Gaston is buried 900 miles away at South Lawn Cemetery in Tucson, where the family moved from in 2009. The children hope to visit Tucson soon and honor their mother with a headstone for her grave.
The Gaston-Ellis family's wishes:
Headstone for Eulalia's grave; car repairs or used car; estate attorney; help paying bills; guidance applying for benefits; apartment deposit; clippers and barber supplies; gently-used salon chair; bedding; laptops and printers; refurbished iPhone; TVs; grill/smoker; convertible car seat; high chair; crib; stroller; prescription eyeglasses; orthodontia care; bicycles for Kalieve and Kaiden; gift cards for clothing, shoes and winter clothes; baby toys; baby clothes; diapers and wipes; board games including Life, Jenga and Connect 4; PlayStation 5; Gently-used viola; college application advice; help with college tuition; gift card for tuxedo rental for prom; 8 x 10 rug; full-length mirror; gift cards for H-E-B, Amazon and Sally's beauty supply.
Wish list available on Amazon.
Nominated by: Hospice Austin, 4107 Spicewood Springs Road, Austin, TX 78759. 512-342-4726, hospiceaustin.org.
Its mission: Hospice Austin eases the physical, emotional and spiritual pain of any person in our community facing the final months of a serious illness.
Read more: Find more Season for Caring stories, at statesman.com/seasonforcaring