““I just want to breathe.”

Those were the words Lauren said recently when someone asked how she was holding up after the past three years.

Three years ago, Lauren was living the dream she had worked so hard to build — a home for herself and her daughter. Today, that dream has become a nightmare, turning her life upside down. Through no fault of her own, Lauren has spent the last three years fighting a battle that has drained her emotionally, financially, and physically.

Lauren didn’t fight for three long years to reclaim the life she worked so hard to build, only to be left with more uncertainty about what the future holds.

To anyone who can help.

I’m starting this fundraiser on behalf of my dear friend Lauren and her daughter, Jansen.

I have watched Lauren live through the past three years of this nightmare firsthand. I’ve seen how hard she has fought, how unfair so many parts of this process have been, and how much it has taken out of her while she tried to stay strong for her daughter.

Funds raised through this fundraiser will help Lauren and her daughter begin to stabilize their lives after three incredibly difficult years. Support will go toward:

• Legal and litigation expenses that consumed most of the settlement

• Transportation so Lauren can continue working and for her daughter’s school and activities.

• Debt accumulated during the three-year legal battle

• Living expenses while she works to sell the damaged property

• Helping this mother and daughter regain stability and move forward

Lauren is a single mother raising Jansen on her own. She has always been one of the hardest working people I know. As a hairstylist, she spent years building her career and eventually opened her own salon while raising her daughter by herself.

A few years ago, Lauren accomplished something she was incredibly proud of — she began building a home for herself and Jansen. For a single mom, building a dream home was something she worked tirelessly to achieve. It was supposed to be their safe place. A home filled with stability, comfort, and memories.

Construction on the home began in October 2021. Lauren believed she had hired licensed professionals and followed the guidance of everyone involved in the process. She did everything she was told to do and trusted the people responsible for building the home were doing their jobs properly.

Lauren and Jansen moved into the home in June 2022 believing everything had been built correctly.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

Serious construction failures during the foundation and concrete work caused major structural problems throughout the home. These issues were later investigated by the Contractors Board, who confirmed how severe the failures were. The contractors responsible were fined and ultimately lost their licenses.

As the damage became worse, Lauren and her daughter were forced to move out in February 2024 because the home was no longer safe to live in.

For the past two years, Lauren has been paying the mortgage on a house they cannot live in while still trying to maintain her career and provide for her daughter.

What followed was a three-year legal fight that Lauren never asked for but had no choice but to face.

One of the contractors filed bankruptcy, meaning a large portion of the damages will never be recovered. The remaining case went through arbitration against the concrete contractor and their insurance company.

After years of stress, legal battles, and uncertainty, the arbitration process has finally ended. While there was a settlement, it does not come close to making Lauren whole.

After legal fees and litigation costs are paid, most of what remains will go toward paying down the mortgage on a home that is still not livable.

The only option now is trying to sell the property as-is, with no guarantee of when it will sell or what it will bring.

Over these past three years, Lauren has taken on significant debt just trying to survive this situation while continuing to care for her daughter.

And the setbacks didn’t stop there.

Lauren recently put down a deposit on a small loft so she and Jansen could finally have a place of their own again after years of uncertainty. But shortly after that, her vehicle was repossessed after unknowingly falling just one payment behind.

What many people don’t see is the emotional toll these past three years have taken.

Lauren has spent years fighting through something that completely turned her life upside down — something that was never her fault. The stress, financial pressure, and constant legal battles have affected every part of her life.

She even had to close the salon she worked so hard to open because the demands of the lawsuit became overwhelming.

Through all of this, Lauren has continued to show up for Jansen every single day.

Her mother has stepped in to help in countless ways, and their support for one another has been a lifeline during some incredibly difficult years.

Anyone who knows Lauren knows she is not someone who asks for help. She has always been the person working hard, helping others, and doing everything she can to provide for her daughter on her own.

But after three exhausting years of fighting through something that completely changed her life, she is simply trying to find a way forward.

If you are able to donate or simply share this fundraiser, it would mean more than words can express.

After three exhausting years of fighting through something that was never her fault, I am hoping we can give Lauren and her daughter the chance to breathe again and begin rebuilding the life she and her daughter deserve.”