Hello, My name is Crystal. I am a Navy veteran, a soon-to-be mother, and am raising funds to reunite my family after nearly two decades apart.

My mom, Irma, has been waiting in Mexico for 17 years to return home to the United States. I am currently in my second trimester of pregnancy, and my greatest hope is to bring my mom home before I give birth so I don’t have to recover alone.

I don't remember much of my mom from when she lived in Georgia, but she says we visited the typical Atlanta attractions (like the Aquarium and the World of Coke) before I was five. I do remember a breathing machine that looked like a cow, though. For much of my childhood, I moved between homes, so my grandmother helped raise me. My aunt stepped in when she was still a teenager herself, and at times, I had to care for myself.

I tried living in Mexico more than once so I could be close to my mom. Each time, the financial realities, local cartel violence, and caregiving responsibilities made it impossible to stay.

So, I joined the U.S. Navy, and built a life, even when it felt like too much.

I kept going. The inability to run to my mother's arms when things are hard has been the hardest part of my story.

The daughter of US migrant farmworkers, my mom is a strong and deeply capable woman. She is warm and is the kind of person who makes you feel safe after one conversation.

She has worked for US-led companies while living in Guadalajara, still contributing to American businesses but for a fraction of the pay.

She helps families with translations.

She solves problems when others feel stuck.

When neighbors need help, they call her.

When family members need childcare, she steps in.

When there is chaos, she brings order.

My mom arrived to the US as a newborn in 1980s. My mom and her siblings were raised by a single mom in Northeast Georgia in Gainesville, Georgia.

In 2008, my family attended an immigration appointment in Juárez, Mexico, to adjust our status after growing up undocumented in the United States.

That is when everything stopped.

USCIS determined that because my mom was taken out of the country as a minor and later returned to her family, she had to be penalized for leaving the U.S. as a child. She was required to wait 10 years outside the country and then petition through a pardon, leaving behind her childhood friends and family. Still, she dreams of returning to school and building the career she always imagined in the United States as a native English speaker. She is also excited to reunite with her own mother, whose age and health now require daily care.

We have spent thousands of dollars on legal fees.

We have waited.

We have hoped.

Seventeen years have passed.

As I begin to build a family of my own, I want my children to know my mother.

My mom will have temporary housing with a family member when she arrives. After that, she will need time to get settled.

With her status adjustment:

• She must wait about two months for her green card

• She must then receive a Social Security number

• Only after that can she begin working

Those first months will be challenging and this fundraiser is meant to bridge that gap.

How the funds will be used:

The goal is $3,500.

Funds will go toward:

• Plane tickets for my mom and my two younger siblings

• Basic living expenses during the first two months

• Transportation, food, and school setup

• Support while my mom waits for work authorization

Any amount raised beyond this goal will help with:

• Longer-term housing stability

• School supplies and childcare needs

Every dollar helps our family land safely.

If you are able to give, thank you.

If you can’t give, sharing this means just as much.

After 17 years, we are so close.

Thank you for helping bring my mom home, and really, thank you for just hearing my story.

In love and appreciation,

Crystal