I never imagined I would find myself in a position where I needed to ask others for help, but after years of hardship my life has come to a screeching halt. Following workplace sexual harassment and assault by a female colleague, the total systemic failure that allowed her to circumvent accountability, and over a decade of spousal abuse and control within my marriage, I have reached a point where I can no longer overcome these challenges alone.

I am humbly asking for support as I work to rebuild my life and relocate from Kansas to Sarasota, Florida for a fresh start.

I have an opportunity to relocate to Sarasota, where supportive friends have offered me an affordable place to stay while I rebuild my life. My hope is that this move will allow me to heal, reconnect with who I am, continue pursuing my degree in Social Work, and begin building a stable future once again.

I am seeking to raise $8,000 to help cover:

• Vehicle maintenance and repairs before the move

• Fuel, travel, and moving expenses

• Initial housing and transition expenses

• Essential bills and emergency expenses while I get back on my feet

• Divorce-related and rebuilding costs

For over a decade, I dedicated myself to my family, my career, and trying to build a stable home. Several years ago, my marriage was deeply shaken by infidelity. Despite the pain, I chose to fight for my marriage and my family, believing that reconciliation and healing were possible.

Though I was blind to reality, my marriage was built on a foundation of lies. There was never reciprocal love: I loved my wife as a partner, and she loved me as a pet. As men, we are not taught to believe we can be victims of domestic abuse. I believed the same. My commitment to marriage and my desire to see the best in my wife made me exceptionally vulnerable to excusing, enabling, and tolerating the hostile home life I was enduring. For so long, I acted on the belief that as a man one simply tolerates and turns the other cheek.

While working in a crisis psychiatric facility, I came to work one evening with a black eye I had received from my soon-to-be ex-wife. Her reason was that I failed to "hype my girl up enough"—I had not adequately complimented her dress, and she responded by throwing a coffee cup at me.

This type of violence occurred often, as did intimidation, such as kicking holes in walls. I had become accustomed to these outbursts and learned to tolerate them in order to avoid further escalation.

That night, several coworkers approached me with concern that I was being abused. The black eye may have been a first, but the stories I shared with them were stories they immediately recognized as controlling and abusive. What I had accepted as normal, others recognized as deeply unhealthy.

Over time, the relationship became increasingly emotionally abusive and controlling. I gradually became isolated from friends and support systems and lost much of myself in the process. When my marriage finally ended, I lost not only my relationship, but also my home, financial stability, and the life I had spent years trying to build.

Despite my depth of tolerance and patience, my ex-wife's efforts to continue exerting control did not end with separation. The day our marriage finally ended followed my establishment of a boundary after she intentionally interrupted my sleep, lured me from bed, and secretly recorded my groggy behavior in an attempt to portray me as "unhinged." When I objected and recognized the manipulation for what it was, our marriage effectively came to an end.

Since then, I have faced additional hardships, including being denied access to my children, difficulties recovering my possessions, and interference with my access to essential technology. This has been particularly devastating because my current income depends almost entirely upon gig work performed through my cellphone.

At the same time as much of the abuse I faced within the home, I experienced sexual harassment while working in the mental health field. After reporting what happened, I ultimately lost the career I loved.

The most protection I was ever offered was to perform my twelve-hour shifts in isolation on the opposite side of the building from my colleagues. This decision came only after I provided concrete evidence, including unsolicited sexual photographs from my harasser accompanied by captions acknowledging that the images were inappropriate despite my previously stated refusal of her advances.

The abuse I experienced at work compounded the abuse I was already facing at home. At one point I briefly wondered if I had somehow invited the workplace harassment. In response, I attempted voluntary celibacy, only to be met with hostility, threats, and coercion at home.

The combined impact of these events left me emotionally, financially, and spiritually exhausted.

I cannot help but feel especially demotivated, as conversations surrounding consent and domestic violence have rightly gained increased public attention, yet male survivors often struggle to find recognition, support, or even belief. My hope is that by sharing my story, others may recognize that men, too, can be victims of domestic abuse and sexual harassment, and that they are equally deserving of compassion, dignity, and support.

Even so, I refuse to let this chapter be the end of my story.

I am not asking for a handout. I am asking for a chance to start over.

I like to believe that we are not faced with challenges because we already possess the strength to overcome them, but rather that we are given challenges that compel us to find that strength. Yet I cannot fathom how any one person survives what I have endured entirely alone.

It is my hope that these battles are not solely my own, but an opportunity for a community to rise to the occasion and demonstrate that male victims of spousal abuse, sexual assault, and domestic violence are deserving of compassion, support, and hope.

Any contribution, no matter how small, will make a tremendous difference. If you are unable to give, I would be deeply grateful for your prayers and for sharing this campaign with others.

I should disclose that I may open additional crowdfunding efforts on other platforms in the future, as my ultimate goal is to secure the financial means necessary to leave my current living situation as swiftly as possible.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story and for helping me take the first steps toward healing and rebuilding.