Coko Gamble, a member of the Grammy-winning group SWV, has taken in her cousin’s 12-year-old twins after losing her battle with lupus. In an interview with @PEOPLE, Coko explained why it was a ‘no brainer’ to take them in and shared how she is doing everything she can to make sure they are taken care of. She said that while it’s been difficult at times, it’s worth it because she loves them like they were her own.
The 52-year-old who is a mom to sons Jayye Michael and Lil’ Tracy, was initially an empty nester but that all changed after tragedy struck their family. Coko said she had previously promised her cousin Sheila Laney that she’d take care of her twins, son DJ and daughter Nevea, 12, if anything happened to her, and sadly that day came.
“She was sick,” Coko says of her cousin who also contracted COVID-19 shortly before her passing. “She had lupus, and we feel like she knew that she was sick already and that she wouldn’t be here much longer because she was getting things in order. We were like, ‘Of course, sure, no problem,’ and she was getting paperwork in order and everything. Shortly thereafter, she got really sick and she passed away, and so here we are today.”
Without thinking twice, the siblings were moved from New York to Virginia… with the help of Coko’s mom, Lady Tibba Gamble, 76.
“It’s family,” Coko says. “I would want somebody to do that for me. [I’m] pretty sure my mom would’ve wanted somebody to do that for her, so when she asked it was like a no-brainer, absolutely. I have the room. We were just that tight. She knew we had her back and we knew that she had ours if anything ever happened.
As much of a responsibility as is, it’s been more of an adjustment as Coko navigates how to properly handle Nevea’s special needs as she is autistic.
“Nevea is autistic and DJ, he’s just brilliant,” Coko explains. “It’s been very loud. I’m used to it being quiet because my kids are grown. It’s been very active, and we stay busy. Because my mother, myself, and Jayye, he’s here, my youngest son. My mom gets up in the morning with them. I do Nevea’s hair, Jayye picks out the clothes. It’s like teamwork.”
Lady Tibba added, “The children aren’t that much of a problem. As long as you feed them and they’re able to play their games, they pretty much entertain themselves.”
The mother-daughter duo admitted that there are some tough days, but know they have each other and God to lean on:
“It’s challenging,” Coko shared with the outlet. “But I think we needed this because I was ready to just prepare to take my mother and let’s go off into the sunset. But God had other plans for us.”