MACON, Ga.(WGXA) — A Macon mother wants the community to know they are not alone as she prepares to launch a non-profit in honor of her late son.
Jasmine Burse, a 2nd-grade teacher at John R. Lewis Elementary, brought the community together for a day of family fun, connection and remembrance on Saturday.
The event featured several vendors selling products and offering free food, face painting, haircuts and braiding styles, as well as other resources for families in need.
Macon teacher, advocate hosts ‘Khaza’s Heart’ community event in honor of late son at John R. Lewis Elementary on May 23, 2026 (Leah Kincaid, WGXA)
This included Burse’s own baking business, “Khaza’s Krumbles,” which she started after losing her son five years ago. Now, she said she is launching a non-profit in his honor.
“Khaza’s Heart Foundation was created to honor the life of my son, who passed away in 2021. He meant a lot to me, he changed my life,” she said. “I wanted to organize this event to give back to the community. I want families to know that they are not alone when it comes to grief.”
The 2nd-grade teacher said her son helped her turn “pain into purpose” and became an advocate for mental and maternal health because of her experience during that time.
“I am one, and advocate for mental health, and also an advocate for maternal-fetal health because I was neglected during my pregnancy. That’s what caused me to lose my child. During that time, I relied heavily on therapy and just a big support system to kind of help me get through my grieving process, and that’s what this foundation is here for,” she said. “The most traumatic thing that happened to me was able to blossom into something beautiful. Healing takes the community and I want his legacy to inspire hope.”
Macon teacher, advocate hosts ‘Khaza’s Heart’ community event in honor of late son at John R. Lewis Elementary on May 23, 2026 (Leah Kincaid, WGXA)
Burse says the mission of Khaza’s Heart Foundation is to spread awareness and give back to the community by providing those in need with mental health resources and support.
“The other component of what I’m willing to do is [create] a more intimate setting where people can come, they can talk about their grief, they can talk about their trauma. I will have mental health advocates [and] resources that they can use. So if you need counseling, if you need some sort of therapy, I’ll have that available too.” she said. “Grief looks different for everybody. Everybody experiences some sort of trauma in their life, unfortunately. I want them to know that they are not alone, we have resources and we can lean on each other for support.”
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Burse plans to host similar family events each year. You can find more information on her social media page.
Stick with WGXA as we learn more and keep you ready for what’s next.