On Aug. 9, Brandi Cardoza gave birth to her youngest child.  Eleven days later she was dead at age 30.

Her friend Dianne Baker is focusing on Cardoza’s life and on the lives of Cardoza’s three children as she tries to raise money for the kids through youcaring.com.

The website helps people raise money for various causes.

“She was a really good mom. She struggled financially, and she worked really hard to provide for her kids,” Baker says.

The cause of Cardoza’s death is unknown, and the results of  the state Medical examiner’s investigation are pending.

Cardoza’s children, ages 9 and 6-years-old, and 3 months are now being cared for by Cardoza’s mother, Faye.

“Now, [Cardoza’s] mom has to pay after school expenses, daycare expenses,” among other things Baker says. “Grandma’s 64-years- old, and she has the responsibility of taking care of three kids now.”

Baker says that in addition to immediate expenses, Cardoza’s mother needs to find a new home as she and the three kids outgrow a two bedroom mobile home.

“She went without many times so that they could have what they needed, and sometimes what they wanted,” according to Baker.

“She was the most generous person I have ever known, but she was also strict with her kids,” Baker explained. “She made sure that they were always grateful, considerate of others and polite.”

Baker is a bus driver for the Cape Cod Child Development in Wareham, where Cardoza worked as a bus monitor.

“She was a great girl, a great mother and a hard worker,” her former supervisor Kathy Gomes said.

Gomes says that Cardoza wanted to go back to school to become a teacher, but between kids and work there wasn’t time.

However, Cardoza did pitch in at Cape Cod Child Development sometimes.

“She was a great substitute teacher in the classroom,” Gomes noted. “She was so nice with the other kids... She was trying to get ahead and learn what she could learn.”

Baker got choked up as she spoke about Cardoza, saying she wasn’t just her coworker, she was her friend.

“She just brought joy to everyone around her no matter what she was going through- and she was going through a lot,” financially and personally Baker said. “She was just an awesome person, and I need people to know that.”

Donations may be made at www.youcaring.com, or mail donations to Cape Cod Child Development, c/o Kathy Gomes, PO Box 105, Onset MA, 02558. Donations may also be dropped off in person at Cape Cod Child Development, located at 314 Onset Ave. Checks may be made out to Faye Cardoza.