Kerrie Rayford died of cancer two weeks ago at 34, leaving behind six children, the youngest just 2 years old. In the aftermath, her younger sister took in five of those children while their grandmother pitches in at the family's Memphis home, and local civic groups have rushed in with cash, school supplies, and a plan to keep helping for years to come.
Timera Allen, 31, is now raising her nieces Doriyae, 16, Dakyra, 15, Damari, 13, Khylani, 8, and Khlyee, 2, alongside their grandmother, according to WREG. Rayford's oldest child, 19-year-old Demarcus, is grown, according to a GoFundMe campaign set up for the family.
A Sister's Bond, Tested by Illness
Before her sister's death, Allen shaved her head in solidarity with Rayford as she underwent cancer treatment, according to an account of the family's story covered by Apple Podcasts. That closeness has carried into Allen's decision to keep her sister's daughters together rather than see them separated.
Family Says the Loss Left Them Unprepared
The children's grandmother said the family was unprepared for Rayford's death and that the outside assistance has helped greatly, the outlet's report noted. Allen said raising her sister's daughters alongside their grandmother feels like a gift, adding that she appreciates everything the family has received.
Kiwanis Clubs Pledge Years of Support
The Kiwanis Club of Bluff City has donated hundreds of dollars worth of school supplies and uniforms for the girls and plans to keep providing those items for at least five years, per the same report. The club also intends to help the older girls log the volunteer hours they'll need for college, and it is connecting Allen with a financial planner to manage the money coming in.
Across town, the Kiwanis Club of Millington gave Allen a $500 check to help care for the five nieces. Local Kiwanis leaders said helping the family reflects the organization's broader mission, noting that Kiwanis International describes itself as a global volunteer organization focused on community service and improving the world one child and community at a time.
A GoFundMe page set up for the family has raised nearly $16,000, and Allen has said she plans to put the money into a trust for her nieces rather than spend it right away, per the fundraiser.
Why Kinship, Not Foster Care
Tennessee generally requires the Department of Children's Services to give placement priority to fit relatives within the third degree of kinship when children can't stay with their parents, under state code cited by the Child Welfare Information Gateway. That statutory preference helps explain why an arrangement like Allen's, an aunt taking in nieces rather than the state taking custody, is common across Tennessee.
The state funds a Relative Caregiver Program offering support groups, respite care, educational workshops, and emergency financial assistance to family members raising children outside their parents' homes, according to the Tennessee Department of Children's Services. In Shelby County, that program is administered locally through the University of Tennessee Boling Center for Developmental Disabilities.
Kinship Care Is Far More Common Than Foster Placement
Nationally, for every child raised by relatives within the formal foster care system, an estimated 19 more are raised by relative caregivers through informal family arrangements outside the system, according to Generations United. In Tennessee specifically, more than 75,000 grandparents serve as primary caregivers for their grandchildren, and more than a fifth of them live below the federal poverty line, per Nashville.gov.
Cancer's Toll on Shelby County
Rayford's death also reflects a broader health burden in the region. Shelby County recorded an age-adjusted cancer death rate of 164.2 deaths per 100,000 residents between 2019 and 2023, above national targets, according to data cited by NIH HDPulse.
Newer and Older Clubs Team Up for the Family
The Kiwanis Club of Bluff City is a relatively new addition to the Memphis civic landscape, organized in January 2025 under the sponsorship of the Germantown Kiwanis Club, according to the LaMissTenn District of Kiwanis International. The Kiwanis Club of Millington has a much longer history in suburban Memphis, chartered in 1971 and routinely funding youth initiatives and college scholarships, per the district's records.
For now, Allen said she is focused on keeping her nieces settled and that she appreciates everything the community has done for the family. The trust she plans to establish, she said, is meant to make sure the support arriving now benefits the girls well into the future.
