Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s mother, Sonja Lujan, passed away due to natural causes at the age of 82, according to KOB 4.
Lujan Grisham revealed her mother's death in mid-April. The governor earlier reported that her mother's health was deteriorating and she was receiving hospice care at the governor's Santa Fe home.
"Her tenacity and determination in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges have inspired me every single day of my adult life," Lujan Grisham said. "She taught me to fight hard – to make sure no one is left behind, that no family is lacking the support they need and deserve."
Lujan Grisham said her mother became an advocate for her sister, Kimberly, after she was blinded as a young child due to a malignant brain tumor. Lujan then became an advocate for disabled children throughout the country.
She transported Kimberly and her classmates home from the New Mexico School for the Blind to spend time with their families, KOB 4 reported. Lujan later became a member of the school's Board of Regents and continued to care for Kimberly until her death in 1985 at the age of 21.
She spent years battling government and health care bureaucracies to ensure her daughter obtained the necessary resources to lead New Mexico, according to the governor's office.
Lujan resided at an Albuquerque assisted-living facility during the COVID pandemic. Lujan Grisham said that many of the public health decisions she implemented at the time were meant to protect people like her mother, according to KOB 4.
Lujan spent her final days surrounded by her family. Lujan Grisham said her mother will be greatly missed.