‘The definition of a fighter’: Brianna Grant, Kansas City mother of three, dies at 35

An unavoidable truth we all face at some point is that there will be struggle in our lives. We are all confronted with a choice: You either allow the issue to stop you in your tracks, or you face it head-on. When Brianna Grant was diagnosed with health issues that threatened her life, she didn’t give up or feel sorry for herself. She prepared for battle.

“She was literally the definition of a fighter,” says cousin Mallory Grant. Brianna Grant, 35, of Kansas City, died Sept. 14 after her diabetes led to kidney and heart failure. With the family still grieving and trying to make sense of this sudden death, they are comforted that after all the pain endured, she is at peace.

“She fought, she never gave up,” her cousin says. “It has been tough, and we have our moments. But we are Grants so we try to stick together and tough it out. We just have been praying about it and asking God to put comfort in our hearts so we can move forward and look after her babies.”

Many people who knew Grant over the years kept up with her developments on social media. Grant would always make sure her posts were messages of strength and hope toward recovery.

Grant’s will to live was not just a personal sense of self-preservation but the need to be there for her three young children, loved ones say. She was an ever-present and dedicated parent who wouldn’t allow her illness to affect the amount of joy she placed in the lives of her children.

“Her main focus was always being there for her kids,” her cousin says. “She would have this weekly movie night every Wednesday that she would make a big thing for them. Her kids were her motivation to push through and get better. She didn’t want to leave them without a mother.”

Grant was known as a writer with a deep passion for poetry, a skill which was nurtured early in life at Paseo Academy of the Fine and Performing Arts. There at the age of 13, she met Bridgett Williams, who would go on to become her best friend for over 20 years.

“I had started school the second semester and didn’t know anybody there,” says Williams. “We rode the same bus and just connected. We had so many things in common. She was just so friendly and outgoing.”

The two friends would spend the next four years bonding over shared interests such as music and writing. As the years went on both would have children and navigate the mysteries of motherhood together.

“She was a great mother, her kids were her everything. She was so hands-on. Even when she was sick in the hospital she was still planning birthday parties,” Williams says.

Now without her closest motivator and confidant, she knows she will have to remember the lessons Grant taught her while battling her sickness.

“I am going to miss those conversations. Her always being there for me no matter if she was dealing with her own stuff. I will miss everything about her,” says Williams. “She inspired me personally never to give up and always fight and not dwell on the negative.”

Though many Paseo alums may not have kept in contact with her over the years, the immense amount of condolences is a testament of the many lives she touched. Classmates ranging from close friends to casual acquaintances all shared in the grief on social media.

“Seeing all the love shared is a testament to the type of person you were. Such a sweet, genuine soul.”

“You inspired so many people, with your warrior strength and kindness in spite of everything you were going through. I watched your journey from afar, but you inspired me too. I’m so sorry I didn’t get a chance to tell you.”

“No more pain Love. I pray that God wraps your babies, and all of your loved ones with the peace that surpasses all understanding. Sending my love and prayers. #paseopirates #classof2005.”

“How surreal is it to wake up and see one of your classmates gone (too) soon. BriAnna Grant you were always such a sweetheart. So bubbly, so kind, and always showing that big beautiful smile.”

“My timeline is full of heartfelt posts for BriAnna Grant! You were an inspiration to everyone because we saw how hard you fought and stayed so sweet during such a hard journey. You truly are a Queen. Rest easy classmate. No more suffering.”

For the Grant family, the outpouring is a heartwarming example of how much she mattered in the lives of so many.

“Seeing all the people saying all these kind words just goes to show who she was and how much her struggle meant to people,” her cousin says. “She would tell me she would keep fighting and never give up. And that is what she did.”

Other remembrances

Edwin Dean

Edwin “Eddie” Napolean Dean, military veteran and father, died Sept. 10. He was 93.

Dean was born Aug. 10, 1929, in Huttonsville, Oklahoma, to parents Jimmy and Lula Dean. After leaving high school, he had his first and only daughter, Edwina. In 1949 he moved from his birthplace to Kansas City.

In 1951 he enlisted in the military, serving for the next eight years. While in service, he met Hazel Barnett, the woman he would go on to marry one year after leaving active duty. The couple had two sons.

Remembered by loved ones as a hardworking man who always provided for his family, Dean worked at Archer Daniel Midland for years before his retirement in 1997.

After attending various churches, the family joined Park Avenue Baptist Church. Dean will be remembered for his love of his family, sports and his community.

He leaves behind his wife, Hazel Dean; sons Bruce and Dereck Dean; daughter Edwina Moten; sister Emma Nelson; as well as a host of grandchildren, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Carol Hams

Carol Hams, a retired teacher and mother, died Aug. 25. She was 88.

Carol Betty Johnson was born to Raymond and Earlie Johnson in in Kansas City, Kansas, on Sept. 14, 1933, the seventh of 10 children. At the age of 14 Hams began to care for her terminally ill father which would start her lifelong passion of helping and caring for people.

After graduating high school, Hams worked at KU Medical Center in order to save money for her college education. She would go on to attend Kansas City Kansas Community College, majoring in education, and then earned an English literature degree at what is now Pittsburg State University.

Hams would join the prestigious Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, gaining many lifelong friends that she considered sisters.

She would make the acquaintance of a fellow educator, Henry Hams Sr., whom she would marry in 1959.

As an avid lover of the arts, Hams enjoyed music and dance but also painted in her free time. She would create acrylic landscapes depicting locations from her life travels. She also had a deep love of literature and writing.

Hams leaves behind children Kimberly Ann Henderson, Kelly Roxanne Hams and Henry Lewis Hams Jr.; stepdaughters Judy Easterwood and Jacqueline Elaine Hams; sisters Mary Lou Shelby and Truvette McKinley; as well as a host of grandchildren, nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends.