Michigan State Spartans’ football star Armorion Smith is having to juggle the pressures of his life as a football player and the responsibility of caring for his younger siblings after his mother died of cancer.
“I can feel her living through me,” Armorion, 21, a defensive back, recently told the Associated Press about his late mother, Gala Gilliam, who died from breast cancer last month. “Almost like I hear her voice telling me how proud she is of me.”
A GoFundMe campaign set up to assist her and the family indicated that Gilliam was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in October 2022.
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“Gala has since had 2 major surgeries and many setbacks, including blood clots, infections, and a decline in her daily function due to the progression of her cancer, which has majorly affected her liver function,” read a description on the fundraiser, which was written before her death.
“Gala is a single mother of 6 children ranging from 2 years of age to 21 years of age and provisions are being made for the care of her children in her absence,” the description added. “Gala’s main focus and motivation to continue to work and fight since day one has been her kids.”
On August 8, 2024, Gilliam passed away at 41, leaving behind five children: Armorion, Armond (16), Avaugn (15), Arial (11), Aleion (19), and Amaira (2).
Armorion, who grew up in Detroit and played football for the University of Cincinnati, transferred to Michigan State in 2023 to be closer to his family following his mother’s cancer diagnosis.
“I was broken,” Armorion later told NBC affiliate WILX about first learning of his mother’s diagnosis. “I was lost. I didn’t know what to do.”
“I always told her since I was a child,” he added, “‘No matter what I do, whatever opportunity I get, I’m gonna take it, and I’m gonna make the best of out it, so I can put you in a position where you don’t have to worry about nothing.’
On September 11, Armorion became the legal guardian of his four youngest siblings, according to the AP.
While Armorion focuses on his studies and playing for the Michigan State Spartans, who are 3-1 under new head coach Jonathan Smith, his 19-year-old sister Aleion assists in caring for their siblings.
“Me and my sister got to work together to keep this all afloat,” Armorion told the news agency. “While I’m in college sports, she’s got to be able to take care of everything that I can’t do, like pick up where I left off, while I’m taking care of business.”
As of Tuesday, September 24, the GoFundMe campaign has raised over $112,000 for Armorion and his siblings, aiding with their living expenses.
The Michigan State’s student assistance fund has also provided him with support, the AP reported.
“It’s really a blessing,” he told WILX in July about the online campaign. “I genuine appreciate the Spartan Nation and their help and their support.”
