Help a family to rebuild after years of hardship

My name is Jennifer Patton and I’m fundraising for my daughter and her two young children. They have endured more than most families should in a lifetime. This is a story of sacrifice, strength, and a mother’s unwavering love — and now, they need help to finally start over in safety and peace.

I know this is long, but please read, share, and donate if you can.

In 2020, my daughter and granddaughter moved across the country for her husband’s military service relocating three times between early 2020 and 2021. She supported him through each transition caring for my granddaughter who has many different therapies and is on the autism spectrum- all far from home and family In 2022, after years of fertility treatment, she was 35 weeks pregnant with their son when her world changed.

Her husband returned from deployment but never came home. Pregnant, physically and emotionally abandoned, and more than 2,000 miles from family, she continued caring for her daughter with no support. When she went into labor, she barely had help getting to the hospital and ended up delivering her son alone — so quickly that hospital staff didn’t even return from triage in time. She discharged herself early because her daughter needed to attend school and therapy, and there was no one else to help.

Not long after, she was served divorce papers.

For 3 years she has been caring for and protecting her children while navigating legal hurdles and emotional trauma. She paid for two lawyers, pushing herself into debt, and ultimately turned to domestic violence legal aid when financial strain made continued representation impossible. During the divorce process, the family’s vehicle — titled jointly — was sold, leaving her without transportation. She walked miles with two children to get groceries, attend medical appointments, and pick up medications. Eventually, a kind woman from a church loaned her a vehicle so she could meet their most basic needs.

Despite all this, she never stopped showing up for her children. She’s managed all their school needs, behavioral therapies, doctor appointments, and everyday life alone. She has taken only jobs that worked around their medical needs, even when that meant sacrificing income. She is such a cautious and hands-on mother that it took her more than a year to feel comfortable letting her children go to the church nursery.

Then, in December 2024, the unthinkable happened. My 2 year old grandson suffered a traumatic injury and required emergency brain surgery. Emily had stepped out for less than 10 minutes to get food for the children, leaving him with a trusted adult — something she hesitated to do for over a year, only gradually beginning to trust others after being the children’s sole caregiver for so long. Despite immediate transparency and video evidence confirming she was not present when the accident occurred, she was still subject to full investigation. This meant being pulled away from her children, interrogated without rest or sleep, and placed under intense emotional pressure during the worst moment of her life — while her son lay asleep on a ventilator not knowing if he would survive. The stress took a serious toll on her health, both mentally and physically. But despite the exhaustion and heartbreak, she never stopped showing up. Alone, she had to make extreme medical decisions for her two-year-old son throughout this ordeal — choices no parent should face without support. Her sister and I were able to come help during the most critical days in the hospital and during the initial transition home, but in the long stretches in between, she relied primarily on the support of her church community to get through which was such a blessing.

After the incident, she made the home safer by having carpet installed throughout the house and tirelessly advocated for protective gear — including a helmet — to keep her son safe as he recovered. She remained cautious about leaving her children, even at the church nursery, not because she didn’t trust others, but because she was so used to being their sole protector and caregiver.

Through it all — the injury, the recovery, the ongoing therapies which still exist— she has remained a devoted mother, advocate, and volunteer. She is only 31 years old, yet her life is entirely centered on her children’s wellbeing and faith. Her time is filled with appointments, church activities, and caring for those she loves most. She has been working towards self sufficiency, but has many obstacles and hurdles to overcome.

**Why We Need Help**

She currently lives in military housing, but due to military policy, she will have just 30 days to move out after the divorce is finalized. She has no access to public assistance because she is still legally married and has no reliable transportation. Every ounce of her energy and income has gone toward protecting, caring for, and advocating for her children — and now she’s being asked to prove why moving to a support system is in their best interest, despite having done it all alone for years.

**Your support will help with:**

* Securing housing after leaving military housing

* Relocation expenses to return to California

* Reliable transportation for the children’s medical and school needs

* Legal fees for the ongoing custody case

* Transitional costs while finding stable employment that fits her caregiving responsibilities

* Therapy and support services for both children

This is about rebuilding.

Not just surviving. Not just getting by. But finally creating the safe, stable life she’s fought for — one that every mother and child deserves. She has done everything right, despite everything that went wrong. She has never stopped showing up for her kids. And now, we are humbly asking for help to show up for her.

Every donation, every share, every prayer helps. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

With deep gratitude-

Jennifer Patton