My name is Heather, and this is the hardest message I have ever written. My daughter, our little Shih Tzu, our bunny, and I were displaced after surviving a violent where I was beaten within an inch of my life and nearly deadly domestic violence attack. Since then, our lives have been a daily struggle to stay safe, stay sheltered, and simply stay alive. For 3½ months, I have searched for employment — applying, calling, walking into businesses — but every effort has ended in silence. We now face eviction within the next two weeks. We have nowhere left to go, no resources left to try, and no services in Las Vegas willing or able to help us.

I am fighting more than homelessness. I am fighting for my life. I have severe PTSD from the violence we endured. I have Scoliosis which is quickly progressing, I have lung cancer, which I have not been able to receive any treatment, I have diabetes which is not stable, and I am anemic and I am in desperate distress. And I have not been able to receive any medical care in the State of Nevada, despite begging agencies for help. Catholic Charities said they cannot help. The Salvation Army hung up on me mid-sentence after saying I was “bothering” them. Every social service in Las Vegas has turned us away.

We are asking for help to return home to Wisconsin — where I can finally receive medical treatment, where we have support, and where my daughter can feel safe again. We need help to pack up what little we have left, make the long drive home, and survive until stability returns. I am not asking out of pride — I am asking out of love. I want to live. I want to be here for my daughter. I want to rebuild. I want to survive long enough to receive the medical attention I urgently need. If you can help — even a little — you will be providing more than assistance. You will be giving us a chance at safety, stability, and hope. You will be giving us our Christmas miracle. Thank you for reading. Thank you for caring. Thank you for being the light in a moment of deep darkness. May your kindness return to you a thousandfold.