Back in November, I met Walter and Patience, who shared with me that 2 years ago, with their 4 children, they escaped a religious commune that all but Walter were born into. Walter entered as a teen, but now in their 40s, they realized that they needed to escape, especially for the welfare of their 4 children. So, with the shirts on their backs and a few basics, they bravely made the escape, leaving everything behind.

Over the last two years, they have lived frugally and worked hard to get on their feet and save up to buy their first home, a safe haven for all of them. Lucky for me, when they started looking for a Realtor, they stumbled upon me.

After lots of searching, we found the most perfect home for them. However, right after they closed on their home, the life that should've been nothing but joyful took an unexpected turn.

After I handed them the keys to their very first home, their second youngest child, Taliah, who is only 10, became very sick. She has spent weeks in CHKD, and they still have no answers.

Taliah is now home from the hospital; however, she came home with an NG tube as she is still unable to eat.

This is taking a financial toll on Walter and Patience as one of them has to be home with Taliah at all times due to how weak she is. She cannot get out of bed or walk on her own, and she constantly has severe abdominal pain and nausea.

Their next option is to take her to VCU to see if they can figure out what is going on. That will be a costly expense as well.

It was hard enough for them to leave the commune, but they made it happen. They worked so hard to escape, and they worked even harder to save for their first home. Please help me help them focus on getting their sweet little girl well and back on her feet.