Over the last year, my children and I have been living through something I never imagined would become our reality. We have endured domestic violence, fear, uncertainty, and a court process that has required me to keep finding strength even on the days when I feel like I have none left.

I have done everything I know how to do to protect my children. I have shown up, documented, filed paperwork, walked into courtrooms afraid, and continued fighting because four little lives are depending on me to keep going.

But I have reached a point where I need help.

Trauma has a way of taking your voice from you at the exact moment you need it most. When I have to stand in the same courtroom as my children's father, my body remembers everything my mind is trying so hard to push through. My heart races. My thoughts disappear. I freeze. And suddenly, I am expected to clearly and confidently advocate for the most important thing in my entire world—the safety and well-being of my children—while my body is simply trying to survive the moment.

I desperately need an attorney who can be my voice when mine becomes difficult to find. Someone who understands the legal system, who can stand beside me in that courtroom, and who can help me fight for the protection, stability, and peaceful future I am trying so hard to give my children.

I never imagined I would be asking others to help me afford an attorney. Asking for help is incredibly vulnerable, but there is nothing I wouldn't do for my children. I would rather set my pride down and reach out my hand than look back someday and wonder whether I could have done more to protect them.

So I am asking for help.

Every donation will go toward attorney and legal fees as I continue navigating this fight for our safety. No amount is too small. And if you aren't able to donate, sharing our story could help it reach someone who can.

More than anything, I want my children to know what it feels like to live without fear. I want them to grow up surrounded by peace, stability, laughter, and the freedom to simply be children. I want this chapter of our lives to someday be something we survived—not something that defined us.

I am fighting with everything I have to get us there.

Thank you for standing beside my children and me while I do.