TL;DR: After a year of trauma and legal challenges capped with a recent accident that totaled my car, I’m asking for help. I’m raising funds to replace my car, help cover attorney fees, remove my belongings from my storage unit and regain the stability I’ve been working so hard to rebuild.

This past year has been the biggest test to my strength and perseverance that I’ve ever experienced, and if you know me, that’s saying a lot. Last New Year’s Eve, I survived a nearly fatal domestic violence incident that forced me to rebuild every aspect of my life. I was able to get a Civil Protection Order and have been doing my best to start over and move forward. I’ve been trying so hard to work toward a safe and stable life that would be healthier than what I’d just left. I’ve been pushing forward and working through the trauma, but the emotional and financial fallout has been a lot to manage.

I’ve spent most of this year trying to recover while supporting my kids and attempting to manage being self-employed. I’ve tried to navigate the legal system as best I can on my own through the divorce. For months after the incident, trauma took its toll, disrupting my ability to maintain steady work hours. The backlog of bills has followed me since last January, and any minor financial setback has felt nearly impossible to overcome.

I’m currently in the middle of both a divorce and a separate custody case. I have an attorney for the custody case, but I’ve fallen behind on payments. I also need to retain an attorney for the divorce so that I have a fair chance, since my ex has legal representation to help him navigate the process. And I have a storage space full of stuff that is about one month away from getting put up for auction because I can’t afford the bill. I’ll need to rent a truck to empty it, once the bill is paid and the lien is removed.

Just as life started to feel a little more manageable, I was involved in a major car accident on November 10 that totaled my car and left me with a concussion and some pretty bad pain in my neck and back, which is making work difficult yet again. I’m still trying to work through the pain, and I’ll have some of my lost wages recovered through insurance, but I don’t know how soon I’ll recover that pay. GAP insurance will cover the remaining loan balance on the Sienna, but I will have almost nothing to put toward a replacement. After the last year of financial stress, my credit is in a place where I can’t finance another car without help. I need reliable transportation for the long commute to the kids’ schools in Akron, ongoing medical appointments, and upcoming court dates also in Akron.

I’m raising funds to cover:

I’ve been trying to work toward a stable and peaceful life for myself and my kids, and I’ve made progress over the last year, but I just need help getting through this last stretch. Every donation and share helps. Words of encouragement also welcome.

Once I get through recovery from this most recent accident and am feeling more grounded, I’d love to offer guided yoga/meditation, copyediting services or artwork as a gesture of gratitude.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for any support you can offer during the most challenging year of my life. Your help will give me and the kids room to breathe and strength to rebuild.