In the early hours of Saturday, July 26th, my sister and her youngest son endured an unthinkable nightmare — they were brutally attacked in their own home during a targeted invasion by her ex-boyfriend, a man with a long history of violence against her and others. This was not a burglary. This was an attempt on her life.

During this horrific act, he heartlessly shot and killed two beloved family dogs in front of them and also wounded a responding officer. The officer sustained gunfire to his upper body including above one eye, and was also struck in the hand. This officer will also have to undergo reparative surgery.

Melvin Gallion destroyed their sense of safety, their home, and even their means of getting to work and school — releasing gunfire upon my sister’s car and my niece’s car until both were left undrivable. Also their only means of escape at the time.

My sister is a devoted mother of five — including two children who are not her biological kids, but her abuser’s. Out of love and selflessness, she stepped up to give them the safe, loving home he never could. She has sacrificed so much to protect these children and give them a chance at a better life — only to have her own life shattered in an instant.

Because of the extent of the violence, they cannot return to their home right now and are staying wherever they can while they piece their lives back together. They need to find a safe place to stay, repair or replace their cars, and replace belongings damaged by gunfire. On top of that, the kids still need back-to-school supplies — a daunting cost on top of everything else they’re facing.

Our family is doing everything we can to help, but we can’t do this alone. If you can find it in your heart to donate, every dollar will help give these kids some stability and help my sister rebuild the safe life she’s fought so hard to create.

We’ve also created an Amazon wishlist for anyone who would prefer to send supplies directly — any support, in any form, means the world to us.

Thank you for reading, thank you for caring, and thank you for standing with my sister and her children in this unimaginably difficult time.

With all our hearts — thank you.