For those who don't already know me, my name is Davia and for the entirety of my life, I've had an abusive father. When I say abusive, I mean abusive in every way imaginable - financially, physically, mentally, etc. I was lucky enough to break out of the household at 18 when I left for college, but my mom and younger sister are still at the mercy of his manipulation and control, as they all live in the same household. My dad hasn't allowed my mom to work for over 20 years so that he could keep watch over her and prevent her from gaining any financial independence. My mom has been made to be completely dependent on him for decades, all while being told she is not allowed to have any friends nor communicate with additional family members for support. Abusers love to isolate, and they love to keep an image of serenity going on at home when that is the farthest thing from the truth. My dad has been arrested and has had the cops called on him numerous times for the abuse, but it's been very difficult for my mom and sister to leave without having hardly any finances to sustain themselves. My mom also struggles to ask for help for not wanting to appear as a "burden," so she doesn't know that I'm setting up this fund yet, but I am here asking for any donations to start an emergency cash fund for my mom and sister as my mom makes plans to leave my dad in the next year, hopefully around May or June. I know that one of the most dangerous times for someone in a situation like this is when they try to break free from it, so I'm trying to do what I can to help her and to make sure that she is set up for success once she does leave. This fund will be used for any transportation costs, legal fees, housing, and/or food for them to safely exit my dad's home. Any donation matters to me, no matter the amount. I just want to help set them free more than anything right now. I know no amount of money will erase the impact of the bruises, broken bones, shattered self-esteem, and drunken rage-fueled nights that each of us have been subjected to by the hands of my father, but I just want to get them out.

If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact me.