(**Updated 4/5/17!**) Thursday, December 29th, 2016.  That was the day life changed for our whole family - but mostly for three little girls named Hailee,  age 13 and her twin sisters, Meagan and Morgan, age 11.  That was the day their mother - my aunt, Holly - passed away unexpectedly.  The twins found her unresponsive at home that evening.  They did everything they could, everything they had learned to do in an emergency, but it was too late.  Mommy was gone, and life would never be the same.

          Holly C. Kayser  (Dec 25, 1966 - Dec 29, 2016)

The challenges for the adults in this situation have been no less staggering.  My aunt had no insurance whatsoever to cover the cost of any bills associated with her death, nor the care and well being of her children after she was gone.  She was low income - making ends meet via several assistance programs - and with her death, everything was thrown into a state of chaos where suddenly, not only were we grieving a loss, but we were tasked with the raising of these three children who - though we love them dearly - are all diagnosed with disruptive  behavior disorders which understandably are triggered more easily as they grieve the loss of their mother.  In other words, they are a handful and a half!!

In order to care for the girls - I myself, Jen, have been living at the apartment with them.  My mother works second shift, she cannot afford to quit work, and  someone must be with the children at all times.  This has been a complete life change not only for the girls, but for me and my mother as well, who also has moved in with them while also maintaining her own one-bedroom home.  

Work for me has been on hold for the most part due to the girls' behavioral issues.  Caring for them is a full time job in itself.  I work from home and their behavior is unpredictible and just as described - disruptive.  So my  focus has been on establishing healthy boundaries and routines that are nurturing and provide structure.  We have been seeing progress - their doctors have commented that they have seen progress over the past month - but financally - it's been a struggle.

Much to our dismay, while pursuing legal guardianship, my mother was informed that her income is considered 'too much' to qualify for many of the programs my aunt had relied upon to make ends meet.  This means she has had to find a way to feed and keep a roof over the girls' heads while already struggling to meet her own needs.  She has essentially been paying mortgage and bills for her own home along with rent and bills for the girls' apartment - plus food and household goods - since January.  I'm sure you can imagine the strain that has put on her!

Mom has been seeking additional progams which may be able to help once she is legally their guardian - but - her hands are currently tied on many of them and until legal guardianship is finalized and the court process can not be rushed.  There is no way she can afford to care for these children in the interim, pay rent and bills to keep them in their apartment, keep them fed, keep them in school, get them to their regular doctor and counseling appointments and additional programs for grief, etc. without facing financial devastation.  She can't afford to *not* work right now, either.  For all intents and purposes, she has become 'parent' A and I, 'parent' B.  Rock, meet hard place.

If you are wondering why the apartment - here's why!  It's the only option currently.  Mom's house is tiny, with only one bedroom as mentioned before.  The plan is to remodel the upstairs attic area of her home into bedrooms, but this takes time and money.  The sooner the remodel is finished, the sooner we can get the girls moved in and eliminate over $1000 a month in expenses paid for them to live and the apartment.

Please - any and all help is greatly appreciated!!

Funds collected up until this date (4/5/2017) have been used to pay the funeral bill and to pay for rent, food, and attorney fees related to establishing guardianship.

Funds collected after this date (4/5/2017) will be used for the remodel, additional attorney fees related to guardianship, bills (Rent, Electric, Gas, Water, Phone etc.), food & household goods for the children's apartment until the remodel is complete, child care as needed, grief counseling, and any other unexpected or unforseen needs that should arise .   My mother, Vickie Morey, is sole beneficiary for all funds donated, withdrawing funds directly to cover the above mentioned expenses.

We - and by we, I mean me, Jen; my mom, Vickie; and my cousins Hailee, Meagan, and Morgan - would be so grateful for your help in our time of need.  Will you help us to make it through this challenging time in our lives?