Hi, my name is Stephanie Valdivia-Ramos. My husband Angel and I are writing this with heavy hearts and tears in our eyes — not because we want pity, but because we truly have nowhere else to turn.

We were just trying to build a better life for our family.

Instead, we’ve lost nearly everything.

Now, we’re fighting to keep a roof over our heads.

This past year, we were manipulated and deceived by people we trusted — a loan officer and a contractor who took advantage of our hope, our trust, and our willingness to believe in something better. They left us with:

Over $150,000 in debt

A house that’s partially destroyed

No money left to fix it

And a growing fear that we’re about to lose our home altogether.

We Believed We Were Doing the Right Thing.

Our former loan officer introduced us to his contractor that he trusts and currently works with.

We put our trust in him and so we followed his lead. We took out loans. We signed contracts. We dreamed about what this could mean for our children — more space, more security, more peace.

But that dream slowly turned into a nightmare.

The contractor was paid by the loan officer before finishing even half the work. He walked away, leaving behind torn-out walls, exposed wires, gas leaks, empty promises, and a house that no longer feels safe or like home.

We begged for answers. We asked for our money back. We tried everything.

But the doors kept closing on us.

We’ve spent months trying to survive this.

We’ve slept in rooms surrounded by exposed wood and no stucco or insulation on the outside.

We’ve cried — in front of each other, in secret, in silence.

We’ve tried to stay strong for our 5 kids when we feel anything but.

We’ve contacted the police but they said they couldn’t help. Licensing boards. No one will help. “It’s a civil matter,” they say. Meanwhile, we’re the ones left picking up the pieces — literally.

We are not asking for luxury.

We’re not asking for help to finish the addition that was started.

We’re simply trying to undo the damage and get back to a safe, livable home we once had.

We need help to:

Repair the destruction left behind

Pay honest professionals to fix our current home.

Cover attorney fees to hold these men accountable

Prevent foreclosure and keep our family together

If you’ve ever had to rebuild your life from nothing, you know how hopeless it can feel.

If you’ve ever looked at your children and felt like you were failing them — you know this pain.

We are asking for help because we can’t do this on our own anymore.

If You Can Help — In Any Way

Please donate, if you’re able.

Share our story with someone who might care.

Even a kind message helps us feel less alone in this.

We never imagined we’d be here — but here we are.

And if you’ve made it this far, thank you. Thank you for seeing us, for hearing our pain, and for giving us hope when we need it most.

With all our love and so much gratitude,

Stephanie Valdivia-Ramos & Angel Silva Ramos