Hello, my name is Alyssa, and I am building a fundraiser to help my mom start her life over.

My mom was my best friend. And when I was 10, my grandfather died tragically in a car accident. Little did we know that that moment was going to change our lives forever. My mom hit rock bottom, and she started to spiral out of control. She met a man when I was a freshman in high school who befriended her, and gained her trust to help her get her life back together in a way that she felt was necessary. But again, little did we know another event was going to cause more pain, heartache, and suffering. She was a semester away from gaining her Masters Degree in Psychology, and had such a life ahead of her. But this man took her far away to Idaho, and threw all of her belongings away. Smashed her computer, her phone and anything that allowed her to have contact with anyone she knew or loved, including myself, her own daughter. He threatened her that if she were to try and leave or to try and gain contact with anyone, that he would kill her or come after her loved ones here at home. I filed a missing persons case for my mom when I was a junior in high school, and found out that this man was indeed dangerous, as he was a skinhead. For 11 years we have all been worried and concerned about her well being, and the unknowns haunted us day and night.

For the first time in 11 years, my mom has reached out to me. The man she had been with for the past years was killed, and it allowed her the ability to be free. She was living in a trailer, with an abusive man who threatened her often and who had complete control. He limited the access that she had to the outside world, and did not allow her to be around civilization for 11 years. No contact with technology, no contact with the public. She was secluded and kept a prisoner and was at his beck and call, or as I call it, his slave. She did as he said, and was not allowed an identity. Nobody knew my mom as Dawn, but knew her as "his wife". He put a ring on her finger, and two years later they had a baby. Yup, that's right, I have a little sister. I have spoken to my mom every day since she reached out to me, and for those curious, she did a public records search to find me. There was a computer in the trailer that she was not allowed to touch. As he would check everything everyday when he would get home. He would check the internet search history, or on the house phone, check the calls coming in and going out to make sure she did as he said. If he felt she was lying, she paid the price. But he is no longer alive, and she was finally able to reach out, to apologize, and to acknowledge her mistakes.

At the end of the day, this is my mom. We are all human and we all make mistakes, but it is how we learn from our mistakes that make us stronger. It kills me to know that my mom endured this pain and suffering, and that there was nothing that I could have done to stop it. But she is now able to start her life over. She has my little sister to take care of, and a life that she has to start picking up the pieces to move forward. I don't expect everyone to understand, but I want to at least try (now that I can do something), to help her. So here I am setting up a fundraiser to help her get on her feet, and to help get her some financial stability.

If you can, please donate to help me help my mom, and now my little sister. Every dollar counts, and I am so thankful and grateful to be able to have the chance to do something. I know COVID has put a financial burden on us all, but if you can spare anything, truly from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!

XO, Alyssa