Help Us Rebuild After Loss, Layoff, and an Unexpected Move

Hi we’re Shane and Brandi, and we’re walking through a season we never expected—grieving the loss of our son, facing job loss, and now preparing for an unexpected move across the country to start over. We're reaching out to family, friends, neighbors, and strangers with a humble request for your help.

Our Story

These past couple of years have changed our lives in ways we never saw coming.

The Loss of Our Son, Kenji

We embarked on a new adventure from Phoenix, AZ to Waco, TX in January 2023 with hope and excitement. We never expected what was coming. On November 22, 2023, we lost our son, our first baby, Kenji, when I (Brandi) was 29 weeks pregnant. Kenji was stillborn due to a rare chromosomal condition and we were devastated. His absence is something we carry every day, and learning to grieve while keeping faith has been the most sacred and painful journey of our lives.

We stumbled through 2024, trying to find community in a new place while carrying so much grief and uncertainty. That’s been one of the hardest parts—feeling alone in a time when we needed others the most. We know we’re not meant to walk through this life alone, and we’ve been praying for connection and people who will walk this road with us.

Shane's Job Loss & Relocation

In February 2025, Shane was laid off. He had been working with the same company since 2021, but after it was acquired, he unexpectedly found himself without a job. It’s been the most difficult season he’s ever faced in trying to find work—despite his efforts, the doors just haven’t opened. He is now navigating a possible pivot from his 15-year career as a software engineer to something new.

Brandi’s Search for Purpose

For me (Brandi), motherhood became my purpose. Shane and I had planned for me to be a stay-at-home mom to Kenji, to pour my heart into raising him. When we lost him, it felt like I lost my purpose too. Since then, I’ve been quietly navigating what God's plan for me is now—how to move forward when the future you dreamed of shifts so completely. It’s been a slow, tender process, and some days are harder than others. But I’m trying to believe that healing and hope are still possible, even in this in-between space.

Unexpected Relocation

With finances tightening and stability slipping, we’ve had to make the incredibly hard decision to leave the home we were building in Waco and move in with Shane’s dad in South Carolina.

Part of this move also means letting go of so many of our belongings, pieces of the life we were trying to build. It's heartbreaking to say goodbye to things we once hoped to grow into. We're happy to surrender to what God is asking us to do, but right now, we need to travel light in order to start fresh.

We know God has a plan for us. We believe He is still writing a story of hope and redemption. But in this season, we need help.

How You Can Help

We’re humbly asking for support with $5,000 in moving expenses as we begin this new chapter. Every bit helps— to purchase and install a tow hitch, pay our final bills here in Waco, gas, meals, and other moving essentials to help our little family start again. Our $5,000 goal is just a starting point—covering the essentials to help us begin again. If more is raised, it will go directly toward rebuilding our life and creating stability in this next chapter.

If you’re able to give, share this, or leave us a comment of hope and encouragement below, we’re deeply grateful. Your support helps us feel less alone and reminds us that even in sorrow, we are surrounded by love and God is so good even in these tough moments.

Thank you for reading our story and for walking with us.

With so much love and faith, thank you, Shane and Brandi Connor.