JUST A MOM TRYING TO COME BACK STRONGER.

Hi, my name is Ariela I am a mother of two beautiful amazing children, My 15 year old son and my 7 year old daughter. I am urgently asking for help as I try to rebuild our lives after leaving a domestic & family violence situation.

I moved to Atlanta with their father from NYC when our son was just 5 years old (2016) ... For very long I was hopeful that our relationship and family would evolve. There were lots of highs and happy moments but the lows were LOW.

No physical violence had ever been displayed toward our children in the past. YET .. The moment everything changed was when my son was physically harmed while trying to protect me as his father was attempting to kick me out of our home. No mother should ever have to watch her child step into that role of feeling the pressure to protect her. Nor should any mother ever feel the pain of not being able to stop it all from happening. I was helpless and fearful for the safety of my son & that was the moment I knew we could not stay any longer. The straw that broke the camels back. After 16.5 years, I made the painful decision to leave this abusive relationship.

Following the acts of violence from their father we have faced retaliation from his family. His aunt is the owner of the residence we have been living in since 2016 and we have been ordered by the court to leave our home due to her wishes. Despite being willing to pay the rent & asking for time grace in consideration of our children. Her niece and nephew. She refuses to allow us to stay in the home until we find something best suited for us all.

We have had to undergo forensics interviews and forensic medical exams as a result of the abuse. My son is now traumatized as his father, a person who should've have been one of his fiercest protectors - HURT HIM. The pain goes beyond what happened to his physical.

Leaving was not and has not been simple. It has meant walking away from stability, financial security, normalcy & the life we had known for over a decade. Since then, I have been trying to hold everything together while working full-time, caring for my children, navigating legal and financial challenges, and helping my family recover emotionally from everything we have experienced.

Although we now have a place to go they refuse to accept our family dog who we have had since 6 weeks old - he is now almost 7 years old and my hands are tied.

This is a huge added stressor & is causing even more trauma and mental distress on my son and I. Our dog Kobe is his baby , his companion. Kobe loves us so much and is the sweetest boy. Truly a boys best friend & has been there to support him through all of this. Adding yet another loss during this extremely difficult time is causing us all so much pain.

I have drained my 401k, I have maxed out the little credit that I do have & pretty much exhausted all of the help from my little village just to try and hold my head above water. I have no room to continue taking necessary time off of work to figure things out or seek any other types of assistance which is also a huge challenge as I must maintain my primary source of income.

After months of fear, instability, and uncertainty, I was finally approved for housing. While this is an incredible blessing, the reality is that starting over from nothing - is financially overwhelming, and I cannot do this alone.

The costs of rebuilding our lives is enormous. I am trying to raise $10-15,000 to help us safely transition into this next chapter and create real stability for my children & to hopefully keep Kobe safe, in the hands of someone or a temporary shelter that will treat him with the love and care he deserves. He has been nothing but protective and emotionally supportive to us all. Dogs can't speak but they too have feelings.

These funds will help cover:

• Moving expenses, deposits, utilities, and essential household needs • Emergency car repairs - so I can continue getting to work and transporting my children. • Ongoing legal expenses and financial obligations from this transition. • Therapy for myself and both of my children as we work through the trauma we have endured • Summer childcare for my youngest so I can continue working full-time • Paying down financial barriers that continue to affect our ability to fully recover and rebuild

What people often do not see after someone leaves a domestic violence situation is the aftermath. The emotional toll. The financial devastation. The constant fear. Physical and mental exhaustion. You leave to save your family, but rebuilding afterward can feel impossible without support.

I am doing everything I can. I show up to work every day. I keep pushing forward for my children even on the hardest days. But right now, we truly need help getting back on our feet.

This fundraiser is not about giving us extras. It is about helping my children finally have peace, safety, stability, and the chance to heal.

If you are able to donate or even share this, it would mean more than I can ever put into words. Every contribution helps my family move one step closer to rebuilding our lives after surviving something that changed us forever.

Thank you for reading our story and for supporting us during the hardest chapter of our lives.