My mother, Kimberly Ann Lambert-Taylor, was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer earlier this year. We are starting this fundraiser to help offset some of the medical costs associated with her treatment. Kim is a 60 year old mother of 4. The wife of Billy Taylor. A grandmother of 7, a daughter, a sister, and a dear friend to many. Most importantly, a child of God. She recently completed chemotherapy and is continuing with further treatment.
Now to who Kim really is according to her loved ones….
“I remember paying hide and go seek inside the house, with the lights off, in the middle of the night with my mom, dad and all my siblings. It was Mom’s idea. It was always a blast, lots of laughs, we loved every moment.”
“I was/am a sports nut. I remember her always encouraging me, practicing with me, going to all my games, and being the one in the stands everybody asked “who’s mom is that?”
“Mom makes clean houses look dirty. This has been my experience over 42 years of her being my mom, and there is no exception even now. She has a servant’s heart, always has and always will. This is despite what is going on with her personally, emotionally, physically, etc.”
“There was a period where mom was a single parent. In hindsight, being a parent of 3 now, it blows my mind how she was able to have a homecooked meal on the table almost every night. This is all while working multiple jobs at some points during our childhood. Takeout and eating out was a rarity. She was always providing for, caring for, nurturing others. There was no going without. We had new school clothes every year, not the nicest. We always had food, not the most expensive. We always had everything we needed and many things we wanted. Most importantly we knew we were loved. There were very few moments where I saw mom engaging in self care or doing something solely for herself. However, I think her self care was likely just being with us. Now it’s our time to honor her.”
“Yes, my mother tucked me in every night until I was probably 14-15 years old. I am not ashamed and will be eternally grateful.”
“I was a teenager, senior, maybe a junior in high school. I had a party planned where I spent a significant amount of my own money to fund said party. The day before the party, I misbehaved at school. I got home that evening, and started to get ready for the party and Mom stopped me in my tracks ‘where do you think you are going?’ It was then I learned tough love. Boy…I was mad. Years later, and to this day, she always says “you don’t know how much it hurt me to do that.” As a parent now, I know that hurt. But I also know the necessity of what she did. She was more worried about holding me accountable. Me becoming an adult and a man, than the instant gratification of a weekend with my friends. I would not be the man or parent I am today without Mom.”
“When Billy “Dad” came into our lives, he brought two more people into our lives, two additional siblings, Dawn and Brandon. From my perspective, Mom always loved them like her own. She went out of her way to do so. I remember her telling me when I got older that she wanted to make sure they felt no different than we did. They felt like they belonged. They felt like ‘her kids.’ That included love in all forms, including the ‘tough love’ referenced above.”
“Over the past few years, Mom has borne the burden of taking care of both her mother and father (divorced) in their old age along with some of her siblings. Daily visits, weekly visits, food runs, dealing with administrative issues at assisted living facilities, etc. She lost her father in 2024 and I know that took its toll, but she continued showing up for her mother. Anybody who has taken care of elderly parents in the latter years of my life know what I’m talking about. I do not personally know what that is like, but I have witnessed her from a distance in doing so. I have also spoken to her directly about it, her feelings about it, her frustrations, etc. And…if there were a model for doing so, she’s it. The words that come to mind are GRACE (there is a reason it’s capitalized), persistence, selflessness, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control, basically all the fruits of the spirit.”
“Let’s talk about work. Billy Taylor and Kimberly Lambert Taylor are the hardest working people I have ever met in my entire life. Two peas in a pod! You often hear that said about somebody as merely a compliment, or an embellishment. This is not that. This is a fact. This has been said by people who are not her children. In fact, at 60 years old, throughout chemotherapy, she has missed only a handful of days of work. Not showing up to work is a ‘no go’ for mom. This is not work for work’s sake, or work for money. But rather work as a guiding principle, one of the ways mom shows love."
"There is/was always a project going on. Always work to do. And if it has to be done, mom is doing it. She is like those gritty women you see in movies. She has slowed down in recent years, so now I have a chance of keeping up, but not likely.”
“Over the past few years, we have always went to Serenity Point on Topsail Island (iykyk) at least once per summer with mom. Kids, mom, siblings, friends, etc. Floating in and out on the currents, aka the “lazy river,” along the shoreline. Mom loves to swim and I always enjoy seeing her light up in watching the kids play at the beach. This is the first year we have not been in probably 6-7 years. But 2027 better watch out, because we are coming back with a bang.”
“Any parent that has multiple children knows that there are days, sometimes multiple days, at least with our kids, when my wife and I barely get a word in to each other. Between school, activities, the daily grind, etc., parenting is not for the weary. The reason I bring this up is because sometimes we need some time to recharge and reconnect. Every single time that I have asked mom if they could have the kids for a weekend, she has said yes. And all three of them love their granny to the moon and back.”
“Simply put, Mom has always been our rock. My brother and I have always been what one would call ‘momma’s boys.’ That’s a badge of honor to me. If you had her as a mom, you would be too. Cancer is not the end of her story and it will surely not define her. Christ is healing her and doing a ‘new thing’ in her and His glory will be revealed in mom through her testimony very very soon.”
Kim has always been there for everyone else. Her husband, her dad, her mom, her sisters/brothers, her children, her friends, and sometimes complete strangers. Now is the season to be there for her.
As noted above, Kim will be continuing treatment over the next few months. While there are many blessings that have befell her during her treatment, there still remains a significant financial cost associated with treatment and other areas of need. We are asking for donations to offset many of these costs. If you are unable to donate, we ask that you come alongside her family, friends, co-workers, and other loved ones in prayer and agreement for healing. Thank you and God bless!
