“I never imagined this would be the life story I would one day have to tell. I am a mother who has spent years fighting battles no one should ever have to fight. I live with autoimmune diseases that have made it impossible for me to work or support myself.
I was 26 when I gave birth to my beautiful baby girl. Not long after, my body started shutting down. Severe weakness, exhaustion, heart palpitations, pain everywhere, and I lost the feeling in my right hand. I felt like I was dying. Doctor after doctor told me it was postpartum depression and that I needed an antidepressant and more sunlight. I kept saying I was the happiest I had ever been. None of them listened. I saw over a dozen doctors while my health kept getting worse.
I finally googled my symptoms and went to one last doctor, praying God would heal me for my daughters sake. I handed him a paper with what I had found. He promised me I did not have any of those things. I told him I did not think I would wake up the next morning. At 6 am the next day he called me frantic and said I needed to get to the hospital right away. He apologized for not listening and said the fact that I was still conscious was shocking. My thyroid numbers were off the charts.
The damage from being undiagnosed so long was already done. My immune system attacked my thyroid and I have never felt well since. I take medication every day or my body will shut down. I deal with blurry vision, ice cold feet, intense brain fog, autoimmune arthritis, hives, psoriasis, vertigo, and colitis. Some days the pain is so bad I need a cane or cannot get out of bed. I almost died from covid pneumonia and sepsis in 2024, and again from a post surgery infection in 2025. I have not been able to keep a job.
Stress makes everything worse and I live in constant fear of how I will pay bills, afford medication, or get to the doctors I need. I have no close family or real support system. Medicaid helps but getting the right care is a constant battle. On top of the physical illness I struggle with severe depression, anxiety, insomnia, and PTSD.
A big part of this comes from surviving domestic violence by my husband, who I met when I was 18. The abuse was physical, mental, emotional, financial, and verbal, and it happened in front of my daughter. I was beaten, strangled unconscious, and had a glass bottle broken on me while I slept with my baby. My nose is still broken. I tried to stay for her sake until I realized she might witness even more. Leaving was the hardest thing I have ever done, especially while so sick and alone. The systems that were supposed to protect us failed us. Therapists testified that my daughter suffers from severe parental alienation and that I should have full custody, but the court disregarded it along with evidence of child abuse.
The hardest part has been my daughter. She should have had a safe childhood. Instead she lived through violence, court battles, and separation that took time we can never get back. I carry that loss every day. I cannot change the past, but I will not give up on our future. I am fighting to rebuild so I can keep being her mother.
I am not asking for sympathy. I am asking for a chance to rebuild. Any donation, even a small one, will help cover medication, transportation, and basic needs while I work toward stability. If you cannot give, sharing this means just as much. I have lost so much, but I am still here. I am still fighting. I am still a mother. And I still believe God can make something better."
