This past December, I flew out from California to North Carolina to visit my grandmother, who hasn’t been doing well physically. I came with my 10-year-old son and my aunt, who I live with in CA. We were only supposed to stay for two weeks.

On the day after Christmas, I was SA’d by a man who lives near my grandma’s house. The cops were called, I went to the hospital, the whole nine yards. There’s an ongoing legal case. I knew I wouldn’t be able to afford flying back and forth for court (especially if there were multiple court dates), so my aunt agreed to take my son back to CA and care for him while I dealt with my legal stuff.

As time went on, my savings ran out. I started looking for a job. I finally landed an interview at a brand new animal hospital, and it went really well. It was scheduled to open on September 15th, but two weeks before the grand opening, the hospital blew up. Someone ran their car into a gas line and the building exploded. Luckily, no one was inside, but there went my job.

Now, my situation has become an emergency because my aunt just had a stroke. Thankfully, she survived, but she has a long recovery ahead of her and, of course, can’t care for a 10-year-old. He’s currently with my aunt’s roommate.

I need to get back to CA immediately. My mom is coming with me, so we’re driving her car. She is retired and her social security check isn’t anywhere near enough to afford the gas and hotel rooms, etc. for the trip. So I’m asking for help. Any amount would be GREATLY appreciated. I’ll be posting the roadtrip on my social media if you’d like to follow along on the journey. Thank you.