Help Autumn & Chloe Fight for Stability After Extreme Loss

Help Autumn & Chloe Fight for Stability After Loss and a Court Crisis

Hi, I’m Autumn.

I’m a single mom, a daughter grieving, and someone trying really hard to hold everything together through a season of back to back challenges and instability. And now I am facing a legal emergency I didn't see coming.

This summer, I traveled from California to Ohio for a scheduled trip with my 7-year-old daughter, Chloe, and our cat Milo hoping for a chance to rest and reset. I had been living in a constant state of crisis — struggling to afford rent in San Diego, navigating the complexities of raising an exceptionally bright child with intense behavioral needs, trying to stay afloat after my car broke down, all with a limited support network, something I was trying to build as everything was crumbling. I had planned to stay with my dad temporarily in Ohio so I could work, save money, and rebuild. My dad had planned to care for Chloe and help me like he has many times.

But when we arrived, I walked into a much heavier reality.

Then My Dad Died

My dad had quietly fallen into complete dysfunction. He had a broken hip, had stopped showering, was severely under-eating, and his home where I grew up was in disarray. His dog wasn’t potty trained anymore. He wasn’t paying bills. He needed help immediately. So I stepped in. I drove him to doctor’s appointments, cleaned out the fridge, ran errands, cooked for him, cared for his high energy dog, and tried to bring the house back to life — all while managing Chloe and still trying to figure out our own future. I encouraged him to go to the hospital when things weren’t improving, where he spent three weeks.

We thought he was on a path to recovery, but facing too many different battles at once, his body gave up. My dad passed away before Chloe and I got the chance to stabilize.

Now I’m grieving while trying to pack up my dad’s home of nearly 30 years. I have until the end of August to clear things out of this house he rented. I’ve been juggling this with parenting a neurodivergent child deeply affected by losing her grandpa and the chaos, all without stable housing or income.

I’m just trying to keep our heads above water but the weight is immense.

And Now, a Court Order to Return to California

On top of the grief and chaos, today I was blindsided in court. What was supposed to be a 2 month trip, turned into a decision to stay. I tried to take the proper steps when plans changed but the judge is requiring me to return to San Diego immediately. I will need to file a “move away” request and wait for a hearing before I can keep building our life in Ohio — even though Chloe’s father only has 6 hours a month of supervised visitation and told the court he doesn’t want to pursue custody.

This means:

*Leaving Ohio by Monday August 18th, the day after my father’s celebration of life

*Abandoning the house cleanout for my brother to finish alone

*Leaving belongings and memories behind in a rush

*Finding temporary housing in San Diego

*Retaining my attorney for $3,500 to fight for permission to stay in Ohio

Why Staying in Ohio Matters

Ohio has given us what California couldn’t:

*Affordable living and a lot of family support

*A flexible job that allows me to be much more available for Chloe

*A chance to save money and rebuild my credit

*A sense of peace and safety

My family is here in Ohio, and this is where I can rebuild. I want to retrieve the scattered pieces of my life still in California, including my partner, Izzy, who wants to be here with us. Together, we’ve been raising my daughter and dream of growing our family but first, we need a stable home base to land in.

Once we have that stability, I can focus on building my career in small business operations, and giving Chloe the chance to thrive. She’s brilliant in chess, academics, gymnastics, singing, and drama, and dreams of becoming a surgeon for babies and performing in Cirque du Soleil. My goal is to give her the consistent foundation she needs to chase those dreams without the constant fear of losing our home or being uprooted again.

What I Need Right Now

I’m asking for your help to raise $10,000 to cover:

*$3,500 attorney retainer to fight for our right to stay in Ohio

*Emergency travel to San Diego

*Temporary housing while court proceedings happen

*Daily living expenses while I pause work during this disruption

*Storage & moving costs for my father’s belongings and our items still in California

*My dad’s celebration of life this weekend

Why Your Help Matters

I’ve carried so much of this alone but I can’t anymore. Chloe needs stability. I need to be able to grieve my dad and fight for our future without wondering where we’ll sleep next week.

I want to show Chloe that it’s okay to ask for help. That we don’t have to suffer in silence. That community can hold us when we can’t hold ourselves.

With your help, I can honor my father, protect my daughter’s future, and finally create the safe, stable life we deserve. Thank you for believing in my little family. We are ready to build something beautiful from the ashes, with your support.

If you can’t give, please share this with your community. Every dollar, every share, every kind word brings us closer to stability.