Hello, my name is Hannah and I am fundraising for my best friend, Makayla. Mak and I met in NAVY bootcamp 3 years ago, and after finding out she was also stationed in San Diego, we met up and have been best friends ever since. Let me give you some background on the reason for this fundraiser.

Makayla is 22 years old and has 3 younger siblings, Terry (14), and twins Tristan and Karen (6). After an 8 month deployment before her helicopter landed on US soil, Makayla received a text letting her know that all 3 of her siblings were taken by CPS and split up in foster care. Naturally, Makayla began the foster process immediately to bring her family together. This included requirements by CPS such as finding a 4 bedroom house and fully furnishing it- all before the kids can move in.

After months of Makayla flying up to Central California every weekend to visit the kids and purchasing anything they could possibly need in their new home, they finally moved in. But, Makayla is struggling. She is a single Guardian, Active Duty, raising these 3 children by herself as she moves towards the adoption process. While the military can be helpful in providing funds, she is lacking immensely. Her rent is $3,600, and though Basic Housing Allowance (BAH) with dependents in California is enough to cover this expense, the NAVY will not grant her dependent pay until the adoption is finalized. For months, Makayla has been paying hundreds of dollars extra just to afford rent, and recently received an eviction notice after being unable to pay for a month. She managed to get the funds together, but every month is the same situation- struggling to afford rent, food, and new clothes and shoes for the growing children. On top of her current hardship, her beloved dog Moose recently had a lifesaving emergency surgery to remove a foreign object he ingested which cut off blood supply, causing his intestinal tissue to die. This event alone was $20,000, covered by credit cards, myself, and Makayla's Grandmother. Finally, as school ends and summer break is beginning, Makayla must also pay for childcare over the next few months for the twins, which is estimated to be an additional $1000 dollars a month.

These kids have been through untold mental and physical abuse and trauma, which reaps medical ailments on their health frequently. They need therapy and consistent doctor and dental visits to fix years of abuse and neglect at the hands of their family. The last thing Makayla needs to worry about is how she will pay for necessities on a monthly basis. Please, help me give her a much needed stress reliever by donating to her aid.