Obituary of Kaylea Marie Mendez

Kaylea Marie Laudermilch Mendez, 36, from Cortland NY passed away Thursday, March  20, 2025 as a result of her drug addiction. She enjoyed fashion, exploring with make-up,  writing, and spending time with her children. She will be remembered for her fearless  personality, and her loyalty to family and friends. Along Kaylea’s journey in life, bad  choices were made, including experimenting with drugs. She fought her addiction several  times but the demons always managed to overcome her. On March 18, 2025 she sought  after help at Crouse Hospital, as she struggling to breathe, her lungs filled with fluid, her  heart working minimally, and 17 weeks pregnant with a normal fetal heartbeat. She was  placed into an induced coma, put on a ventilator, and had a cardiac device implanted to assist with pumping her heart. Later that evening, we learned there was no longer a fetal  heartbeat, we lost the baby, and no other surgical interventions could be performed. On  Wednesday, March 19, 2025, we learned that there had been no improvement, in fact, her  heart had worsened, and so family was notified to say their goodbyes. On Thursday  morning at 0238 am, Kaylea spontaneously delivered “Will,” in which his birth and death  would be at the same time, and on the same day for his certificates, and Kaylea soon after  was taken off life support, were she passed in the early evening of Thursday, March 20,  2025, surrounded by her family. 

She is survived by her parents William Cascanet Jr. and Tracy Laudermilch Florkey, her  sister’s Andrea, Ainsley, Kristen, and Gabe, her aunt “Dawnie,” her uncle Keith, and her  three beautiful children Giovanni (14), RayLynn (12), and Aryah (7).  

Kaylea did not pass from a drug overdose, but from multiple organs failing her, as a result of  her drug use and abuse. We chose to tell our story, as we believe she was reaching out to  save her life and the life of her child. We believe Kaylea would want her story told, as she  dreamed of one day helping others overcome their addiction. Should you have a loved one  who too struggles with addiction, you are not alone. We understand the difficulties, the  struggles, not enabling them, and the guilt to want to help them, but can’t as you have done  it so many times. One thing we wish we had done more, was to tell her how much she was  valued and loved.

A celebration of life will be held on Sunday, April 6, 2025 from 11-1 at Wright Beard Funeral Home, 9 Lincoln Ave Cortland, NY 13045.

And a gathering after at the American  Legion in Homer, NY from 1-4.