Help Renee's Family!
0% complete
$965 raised of
10 donations
Hello — I’m Renee. I’m a high school teacher in Western Washington, a proud adoptive mother of two amazing boys. I’m reaching out now not because I want pity, but because I need help.
My Story
- I left a career in fashion back in 2010 to become a teacher, driven by my dream to build a family. Though I never had a life partner, in 2013 I became a foster mom to two young boys — and in 2014 adopted them, becoming their mother in every way.
- My oldest son’s journey has been especially difficult. In his birth home, during the first 18 months of his life, he endured neglect, abuse, and even sexual assault. After a year in foster care, he finally came into my home — where he has been deeply loved and supported ever since.
- Even with that foundation, he has faced enormous challenges: first with a diagnosis of Burkitt’s Lymphoma in 2015, which required months of hospitalization and intensive chemo. He survived by the grace of God, but his journey didn’t stop there.
- Over time, we discovered more: mental health struggles including PTSD, mood disorders, and behavioral disorders. He’s bright, athletic, funny, and warm — but he also battles intense emotional highs and lows. At times, he lashes out physically or verbally, especially toward me as his mom, and often doesn’t remember what happened afterward. This triggers periods of deep despair where he becomes suicidal. It’s incredibly hard to navigate, and lately these challenges have grown more severe as he enters puberty.
Why I’m Asking for Help
These past few months have hit us especially hard:
- Counseling sessions several times a week for all three of us have become essential to our survival and healing. While I’m grateful we have access to this care, it requires me to pay out of pocket while also taking intermittent family medical leave so I can be present. That means missing work, rearranging schedules, and constantly balancing my role as a provider with my role as a mom. It’s exhausting and humbling — but I keep showing up because my sons need me there every step of the way.
- Added financial strain that has built up slowly but steadily. Over the years, I’ve been too trusting in certain situations, which has left me vulnerable to legal and fraud-related losses. On top of that came unpaid debts, costly childcare fees, and the weight of everyday bills that never stop coming. Each setback on its own might have been manageable, but together they’ve piled up and made it harder and harder to stay ahead.
- My oldest son’s hidden spending has also taken a painful toll. I’ve recently discovered that he has been making unauthorized purchases from my accounts through CashApp and PayPal, sometimes draining what little cushion we had. Because of his age and mental health struggles, he doesn’t fully grasp the consequences, and it’s left me scrambling to reverse charges, close accounts, and set up new protections. It’s not just the financial strain — it’s the constant vigilance, the fear of what I’ll uncover next, and the emotional cost of trying to protect him while still teaching him trust and responsibility.
I’m doing everything I can: cooking more meals at home, cutting luxuries, making sure the bills are paid... yet the gap keeps growing.
How You Can Help
I’m raising funds to help with:
- Therapy & mental health care, including specialized counseling and medication
- Stabilizing our finances: paying off current debts, legal fees, overdraft fees, overdue bills
- Everyday essentials: food, utilities, safe environment
A gift of $5, $50, $500 — anything you can do — will lighten the load.
Why Your Support Matters
- Because my son is a beautiful person who deserves stability, safety, and love. He is more than his diagnoses.
- Because mental illness should not be shameful or hidden. I’m sharing this story so others can understand and maybe feel less alone.
- Because by helping us lift this weight, you give us space to keep healing.
Thank you — for reading, for caring, and for any help you’re able to offer. If you can’t contribute, please consider sharing this with your circles. And above all, we humbly ask for your prayers — for strength, for healing, and for God’s protection over our family. Every gift, every share, and every prayer truly means the world.
With hope and gratitude,
Renee