Holding onto hope

Hi, I’m Brittany Askren, a mom doing everything I can to keep my little family safe, together, and thriving — even when life throws storm after storm our way.

I’m raising three incredible, resilient kids who’ve been through more in their young lives than most adults ever will — and yet they still wake up with laughter, curiosity, and love in their hearts. Our days are filled with appointments, emotional ups and downs, and a whole lot of improvising — but also with tickle fights, bedtime stories, and the kind of love that keeps you going even when everything feels like it’s falling apart.

But right now, that love is being tested — because we’re facing eviction, and I don’t know what will happen to my children if we lose our home.

Ethan is 11 years old, nonverbal, autistic, and has Fragile X Syndrome. He functions more like a 2-year-old — he can’t speak, doesn’t understand danger, and puts everything in his mouth due to a condition called pica. His world depends on routine. One morning, when we stayed home for a mental health day, Ethan didn’t understand — he put on his coat and shoes and tried to get his little sister dressed so they could “go to school.” That’s how deeply he clings to structure. It’s how he stays calm. And it’s why losing our home could be devastating for him.

Spencer, my 8-year-old, is my fireball — full of huge emotions, boundless energy, and a heart as big as the sky. He has ADHD and trauma-related behaviors that make school incredibly hard for him. He’s been suspended more times than I can count. But underneath the outbursts is a brilliant, kind, funny boy who builds wild Lego cities, asks deep questions, and tells me he wants to grow up to “help other kids who feel like I do.” He just needs a chance. He needs a steady home. I tell him all the time tha he is going to change the world one day and I truly believe that.

Kelsey is 5 and full of sunshine. She has Fragile X like her big brother and learns the world by watching and copying — sometimes for better, sometimes for trouble! She sings to herself, talks to her stuffed animals, and says “Mama, breathe” when she sees I’m overwhelmed. She’s our joy. She needs safety and familiarity. Not another move. Not another loss.

We’ve already survived so much:

Being evicted by my own mother, who gave our trailer to my younger brother

Living in a hotel for months, taking buses for hours a day just to keep my kids in school

Losing our belongings to storage when we couldn’t afford the fees

Being constantly scrutinized by CPS, not for abuse or neglect — but for trying to survive while poor and disabled

Getting tossed from one housing program to another, never knowing if help would continue

We finally found a place to call home — a rental through a housing program that felt like a second chance. I cleaned it from top to bottom, got rid of the bugs, unpacked what little we had left, and turned it into something that felt safe. I did that — while juggling three kids with special needs, school schedules, case managers, appointments, behaviors, meltdowns, and mountains of paperwork.

I know I don’t come off like someone who has it all together — I’m a 37-year-old hot mess of a mom doing the best I can with the tools I was never really taught. I wasn’t raised with stability or problem-solving skills — I was raised with control, chaos, and the belief that everything is replaceable. Something broke? Buy a new one. Can’t handle a conflict? Replace the person. Blow the engine? Just get another car. But real life doesn't work that way — especially when you’re raising kids who need structure, safety, and consistency more than anything.

I’m not asking for pity. I’m asking for a fighting chance. And now, because of miscommunication between the landlord and housing agency, our rent wasn’t covered like we thought — and we’re being evicted. Again.

Most nights, I’m the last one to fall asleep and the first one awake. The laundry piles up, the dishes never end, and the to-do list resets every single day — therapy calls, school meetings, behavior plans, paperwork, messes, meltdowns. I’m constantly moving, constantly worrying, constantly trying.

And even on the days I feel like I’m failing — the days I break down after everyone’s asleep — I would still wake up and do it all again. Every single bit of it.

Because of those three little faces looking to me to do my job.

I ask them all the time, “Spencer, what’s Mama’s job?”

And without skipping a beat, he says:

“To keep me safe.”

And that’s all I want — just the chance to keep them safe, keep them together, and keep them home.

The money raised will go toward:

Catching up on rent to stop the eviction

Covering court and legal paperwork fees

Paying for basic needs: food, hygiene items, utilities, laundry

Replacing what we lost in previous moves or storage

This isn’t about luxury. It’s about survival. It’s about giving three little humans the stability they deserve — and giving a mom who never gives up the support she needs to keep fighting.

If you can donate, even a little, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

If you can’t, please share our story — your voice could reach someone who can help.

With love,

Brittany Askren