I never imagined I would be here, asking strangers for help. I am a mother who did what every mother should do; I left an abusive situation to protect my child and give him a chance at a better life. I thought leaving would be the hardest part. I was wrong.

After relocating and starting over, I worked tirelessly to rebuild. I found housing. I found employment. I fought every day to create stability for my son. Then life hit us again and again.

I lost my job. I lost my vehicle. I lost my apartment. Still, I kept pushing forward because that's what mothers do. Trying to survive, I moved in with someone who needed financial help. I gave them everything I had left to help keep a roof over our heads (totaling 7k). Then one day everything changed. I was locked out. The locks were changed. My son and I were left with nowhere to go. What happened next still hurts to talk about. Everything we owned was gone. Our beds. Our mattresses. Our couch. Our dishes. Our pots and pans. Our belongings. My son's Christmas gifts. Family sentimental items. Even my deceased service pet remains in her urn. Gone. The few things we had managed to rebuild after escaping abuse disappeared.

Since March, my son and I have moved 23 times. Twenty-three. Hotels. Friends' couches. Air BnB's. Wherever we could find a safe place to sleep for the night. Every day I wake up wondering how to keep going, and every day I keep going because my little boy is watching. But the hardest part isn't what I've lost. It's what my son has lost.

Because of the constant instability, he lost access to the speech therapy, occupational therapy, and early intervention services he desperately needs. Watching your child struggle while knowing they need help you can't currently provide is a pain no parent should have to experience. Through all of this, I've continued fighting. And finally, after months of uncertainty, there is hope.

On June 19, 2026, we receive the keys to our new apartment. For the first time in months, my son will have a place to call home. A place where he can unpack his belongings. A place where he can sleep in the same bed every night. A place where he can begin healing. A place where we can finally stop surviving and start living. But we are walking into that apartment with absolutely nothing. No beds. No furniture. No household essentials. No way to replace everything, much less anything that was lost.

As difficult as it is to ask, I need help.

Every dollar donated will go toward creating a safe, stable home for my son. It will help provide beds, furniture, kitchen essentials, and the resources needed to reconnect him with the therapies that are so important to his development. If you cannot donate, please share our story. If you have furniture, household items, or resources you no longer need, we would be grateful beyond words.

I have survived abuse. I have survived homelessness. I have survived losing everything I own. I am exhausted, but I am still standing. Now I'm asking for help, so my son doesn't have to keep paying the price for circumstances he never chose. More than anything, I want him to know what stability feels like. I want him to know what home feels like. Thank you for reading our story.

Thank you for believing that a mother and her son deserve a fresh start.

❤️ Lauren & Grayson