Hi, my name is Patricia, and asking for help like this doesn’t come easily for me — but I’m doing it with honesty and hope.

For the past 10 months, I’ve been saving to take my daughter, Abigail, to New York City for her 10th birthday. This has been a dream of hers since she was about five years old. She’s fascinated by the city, the history, the museums, and the idea of seeing something completely different from the world she knows.

I planned carefully and worked hard. I was able to pay for our flights and hotel, and I had saved just over $2,000 for museums, art galleries, the Statue of Liberty, the 9/11 Memorial, new foods, and experiences I hoped would open her eyes to the wider world.

Unfortunately, that savings is now gone.

I was hacked, and all the money I had set aside disappeared. I’ve been working with my bank to recover the funds, but so far there has been no resolution. After months of discipline and planning, I found myself starting from zero just before a trip that means everything to my child.

What makes this especially painful is what the last few years have been like for our family.

The past three years have been nothing short of hell. When I began my sobriety journey, everything else seemed to fall apart. My children and I endured an extremely painful divorce, the loss of my job of nearly six years, repeated home changes, health issues, surgeries, and the emotional toll of verbal and emotional abuse that my children witnessed me survive.

Abigail herself went through a traumatic dog attack that left her face scarred — something no child should ever have to endure.

And yet… through all of it, my children are thriving.

Abigail is an incredible kid. She earns mostly A’s in school and was recently recognized for her hard work, her kind heart, and the care she shows to her classmates. She hasn’t asked for birthday gifts. She hasn’t asked for a party. All she wants is this trip — to experience a different part of the country, to learn, to explore, and to make memories with her mama by her side.

This trip, that is in 2 WEEKS - isn’t about extravagance. It’s about healing. It’s about celebrating resilience. It’s about giving my daughter a moment that reminds her the world can still be big, beautiful, and full of possibility — even after everything we’ve been through.

Putting my pride and ego aside isn’t easy, but my daughter deserves this. Any support — whether through a donation or simply sharing our story — means more than I can express. You would be helping restore something that was taken from us and helping make a long-held dream come true.

Thank you for reading, for caring, and for being part of our story.

With gratitude,

Patricia