Tiffany Runyon (R) poses with her young son Gabriel. Runyon passed away due to liver failure. Her two kids are now living with their grandmother. Photo courtesy of Robert Evans

Planning a funeral is not something people often talk about, but Connie Yassin and her daughter Tiffany Runyon had discussed it before.
They had similar views: both wanted to be buried according to Islam, the religion they had found and studied together. The talks were held with the expectation that Runyon would plan the funeral for her mother.

“We were watching the International channel and I saw an Islamic burial and I said, ‘That’s how I want to go’ and she agreed with me,” said Yassin. “It just seemed so unnatural to stand around grieving and looking at a dead person in the traditional American way.”

But on October 22nd, 2008, Yassin found herself needing to plan the funeral of her daughter, who lost a five-week battle in the intensive care unit of the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor with liver failure.

Yassin was still busy recovering from neck and back injuries from a serious car accident in 2006 as well as being taken advantage of by her ex-husband for money to sponsor his sons before he fled the country, putting her in a tough position when it came to paying for the funeral.

That’s when two people Yassin deemed “her guardian angels” stepped in.

The first was Dearborn lawyer Majed Moughni, who offered emotional support to Yassin. Moughni had helped her with her car accident case, and he helped her even more when he introduced her to Najah Bazzy.

Bazzy is the director of Zaman, a non-profit social justice organization that provides assistance to needy people. Between Zaman and the Young Muslims Association, which Bazzy co-founded, around $3,500 was raised to cover most of the costs of Runyon’s funeral.

Yassin talked about how important the support from Bazzy, Moughni, and the organizations were in her difficult time.

“They helped me with arrangements, coping and everything, they were just wonderful and compassionate,” she said.

Yassin had little idea how to go about planning the funeral but it all came together in a day and she couldn’t have been happier with the fitting tribute given to her daughter. The funeral was also a bit easier on the 25-year old Runyon’s kids, three year-old Olivia Ray Runyon and five year-old Gabriel Michael Runyon.

“She looked like a beautiful angel shrouded in white,” she said. “It was really a lot easier to go through the Islamic service than the traditional way with the viewing and the children asking questions and everything. This was as natural as it gets for a young woman’s family.”

Runyon had developed an alcohol problem after moving out to White Cloud, Michigan (near Grand Rapids) to live with a man she met on the Internet. She was seeking support in the wake of a tough divorce and struggling with the challenges of single motherhood. Yassin later found out the man was already married and also that he had been “controlling her pretty much,” not letting her out of the house for six to eight months. Yassin found out she was drinking a half gallon of vodka a day in those times, an amount she couldn’t fathom.

Runyon attempted to cope with her situation by studying and immersing herself in her faith.

“She would read to me from Qur’an speaking Arabic over the phone,” said Yassin. “I was hoping toward the end that was where she would pull her strength from and she was until her boyfriend intervened, took her books away and shut her computer off. She said she was teaching her children the Qur’an as well.”

In the end, Yassin was happy that her daughter was able to make peace with God before she left. The volunteers from YMA took notice and were impressed by her dedication to learning Islam.

“My daughter was learning and wasn’t quite a Muslim but they considered her a Muslim,” said Yassin. “They were so amazed a young American mother was so hungry for knowledge of the Qur’an and they were more than generous.”

Yassin spoke about a powerful moment in which she felt as if her daughter’s spirit was lifted into the next life.

“The last day before she died, Najah (Bazzy), spoke to her. My daughter relaxed, took a deep breath and it was like at that point she was accepted into God’s hands,” said Yassin. “It was almost as if I’d seen her spirit go. I’d never seen anything like it, it was surreal.”

Runyon died what Yassin described as a long, painful death, but spiritually, she was stronger at the time than she had ever been.

“She found comfort in the Qur’an right before her death and it helped her before the ending of life,” said Yassin. “With everybody’s help, the children are now happy and healthy and will be a big part of my life, and I can help them and be a part of their faith as well.”