Debbie has had one of the hardest stretches of life imaginable, and she's been carrying most of it alone.

Her husband was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer and given about 90 days to live. Debbie became his full-time caregiver through all of it until he passed. In the time since, her own health has been declining, and the weight of everything has made it nearly impossible to keep up with her home, her yard, and her own medical care.

While she was grieving, she was also being taken advantage of. A contractor took a $2,000 deposit for tree work and never showed up. A neighbor wrecked her car and didn't pay for it. She fell three months behind on rent, put off dental and health care she genuinely needs, and there were days when she and her dogs went without food because she simply couldn't afford it.

We found out about Debbie through her Uber driver, Zach, who helped carry her groceries to the back door, noticed how much she was struggling, and reached out to us because he couldn't help on his own. My dad and I spent two days at her property clearing years of overgrowth and hauling multiple trailer loads of debris. We bought everything she had set aside for a yard sale and donated it to Habitat for Humanity so she'd have money in hand without the burden of running the sale herself. Through SB Mow It Forward, we also covered her three months of back rent so she could get out from under that stress.

But there's still more she needs, and that's why we're here. This money will go toward dental care she's been putting off, medical expenses that have gone unaddressed, day-to-day essentials, and eventually supporting her transition into a senior living community when she's ready.

All funds raised will be placed into a trust with Debbie as the sole beneficiary. This structure exists to protect her. She has been taken advantage of before, and we want to make sure this money goes directly to her needs and not to anyone who might reenter her life because of it. In the event that Debbie passes with remaining funds, those funds will transfer to SB Mow It Forward, a 501(c)3 nonprofitable organization, to continue helping others in similar situations.