While kids are resilient, it is still unfathomable to think about some of the real sorrows kids have to deal with. Sickness, homelessness, and even death do not spare children. Now, five young kids will carry that burden of grief and trauma after watching their mother be brutally stabbed to death.
On July 10, 2025, a single mom of five, 32-year-old Sharmaine Forpahl, was stabbed multiple times before dying from her wounds. The mom’s body was found near the door to her home in Cleveland’s Old Brooklyn neighborhood, according to Cleveland 19 News.
“She recently moved into a peaceful single-family home in a quiet neighborhood, where she enjoyed spending quality time with her children and creating a loving, safe environment for them,” according to the GoFundMe set up by the late mother’s best friend, Ciara Drake.
“Everything about her is an act of service,” Drake told the outlet. “Her whole love language is acts of service.”
An ex-romantic partner of Forpahl, Charles F. Barkley, was arrested and charged with her murder.
Her children, 7-year-old Harlem, 9-year-old Honesty, 11-year-old Anastasia, 12-year-old Nikiah, and 15-year-old Theodis Jr., are all currently staying with loved ones. Drake set up the GoFundMe to help set the kids up a little bit in the wake of losing their beloved mom.
“Any donation, no matter how small, will go directly toward providing a financial foundation for her children’s education and well-being,” wrote Drake. “Your kindness and generosity will help ease their burden and honor Sharmaine’s memory.”
Drake told the local news outlet is that her No. 1 goal is to keep her memory alive for her children.
“Because when you lose someone that young, eventually memories start to fade,” Drake stated.
A funeral is to be held for the mom on July 26.
