Hi, my name is Elena. I'm currently 18 years old and attending community college. I currently live alone with my younger sister, two cats and dog, while my mom is out of state. She's trapped in a terribly abusive relationship with a man who has rendered her completely financially dependent on him. The only reason she's stayed with him is to be able to provide for my sister and me. He hurts her, keeps her alone, and relentlessly controls her everyday life. She is a selfless woman who has rarely asked for any help in her life, but someday I want to repay her for all the time she's lost and the sacrifices she's made trying to keep us happy. I'm studying hard to get a good-paying job so I can provide for her, but it's still a struggle to support ourselves. Today I was texting her, and she revealed to me that she's contemplated taking her own life just so that we could inherit the money to live a better life. Then, she told me:

"I just want to have a peaceful place so I can have a garden & chickens and a farmhouse sink."

Before we were separated for the last time, we moved once per year. This is how it has been since I was 8. I don't want us living out of suitcases in unstable housing anymore.

We've never reached out for financial assistance, mostly out of fear of what her husband would do, but I can't let my mom continue to struggle alone like this anymore. I've decided to try and start this GoFundMe to help pull my mom out of debt and start building a fund to put a downpayment on a house, one with a field so she can be safe and at peace with a garden, a farmhouse sink and some chickens.

Starting this GoFundMe is a shot in the dark, but regardless of whether you choose to contribute, thank you for taking the time to read a piece of our story. All donated funds will go towards a savings account solely for the purpose of helping get my mom out of credit card debt and helping provide for a downpayment on a house.

Here are some pictures of my beautiful mom. I love her so much.

*update* Thank you EVERYBODY for the overwhelming support and contributions, and all just in a day!! Y'all completely blew the first goal I set out of the water, thank you :) !