Hi, my name is Divea Smiley,

 

Most people know I’ve battled cancer for the last five years. Relapsing in 2021 was one of the scariest moments, and it turns out that during that terrifying time, I was living in a house with two forms of toxic black mold that were deteriorating my health and cancer. Once I found out about the mold, I was forced to vacate my home for my health and safety; during that time, my landlord began a remediation process in which corners were cut, and I was told my apartment was liveable when that was not the case.

 

To confirm my suspicions, I contacted an environmentalist, who inspected the unit and found that the work had been shortcutted and the mold had not been adequately removed.

 

Since that time, I have not had proper housing and have been living from home to home with friends; this has added a burden to my Stage 4

cancer as I can't properly care for myself under unpredictable conditions.

 

My fiancé and I have been saving up money to get an apartment so that I can have a healthy environment to live in which I can continue to manage the Stage 4 cancer; as of right now, we have saved approximately $2000, but with the changes in inflation, it's been quite challenging to get an apartment. This added stress makes it difficult since every time we get close to a unit that we like and can afford, it is immediately taken. When we apply, we have to be as close to 100% confident that we have a good chance of getting the unit as we can't afford excessive application fees.

 

Occasionally I take side jobs when I have the energy, but that is rare; My fiancé is the primary source of income and works six days a week, 12 hours a day, and at the end of his shift, we both go and drive Uber together for additional money.

 

Even though we are doing everything we can to make money, things keep piling up, and every hit is a setback. While moving out of our apartment, our car was improperly towed, and when the tow truck was attempting to pull our car, the lift was not attached properly, and the vehicle dropped; this has caused damage to our brakes and suspension in the only car we have and currently rely on for income. When we disputed the improper tow of our car, despite it being in our assigned parking spot, we couldn't do anything and had to pay $400 to get back a vehicle that was parked correctly, to begin with, in addition to damage caused by the company

 

In March of 2021, My fiancé proposed to me, and I was shocked; when you are dealing with terminal cancer, the uncertainty makes it difficult to start a family and that combined with the intense amount of chemo I put my body through, it was unlikely I would have ever been able to have a child; recently, I felt odd and decided to see , my primary doctor ( you can never be too careful when dealing with cancer)to my surprise we found out we were two months pregnant.

 

This add's an additional stressor as we want to provide a good life for our child, and it feels impossible when all of this is thrown at you.

 

My fiancé has taken on all the financial pressure of our household in addition to having concerns about my cancer; this has led to him sometimes missing meals to ensure I can not only eat properly but, in addition to that, can now eat enough to feed the baby

 

Since I was first diagnosed with cancer at 19, every year has been a struggle, and I have relentlessly fought for my life, as you can see in my previous campaigns.

https://www.gofundme.com/manage/cancer-survival-fund-for-divea-smiley

https://www.gofundme.com/manage/divea-has-lymphoma

 

To manage my cancer and keep us comfortable, we need proper housing, and your support would give us a better chance at that and make

it easier for us to afford food and take care of our upcoming child. This campaign is not just about food or an apartment. It's about creating a better life together and for our child for as long as possible.