I never thought I’d have to ask strangers to help me survive. I’m doing this anonymously and secretly because I’m tired of being pitied. I don’t want people to feel sorry for me, tell me how sad my situation is, and then walk away. I want to be actually helped for once. I want a real chance to get out of this situation and rebuild my life. I lost my mother first. I was already trying to learn how to live with that loss when, in 2022, I was kidnapped and held against my will until 2023. I spent an entire year living in fear. When I finally got away, I thought the hardest part was over. It wasn’t. I came home with anxiety, PTSD, fear, and trauma I still carry every day.

Then I was sexually assaulted by someone I trusted. It feels like every time I tried to put one piece of my life back together, something else shattered it. Now I’m living in an abandoned garage. No running water. No bathroom. No shower. No toilet. No kitchen. Sometimes I sit there and wonder how my life got this far away from what I thought it would be. I am not lazy. I am not refusing to work. I have applied for job after job after job. I finally have a job now, and I’m grateful for it, but right now it barely provides enough for me to eat. I’m working. I’m trying. I’m doing everything I can to get back on my feet.

But my past follows me everywhere. I have a criminal background from things I did in my past, and I know that makes employers hesitant to take a chance on me. I understand that, but I wish someone would look at me and see that I am more than the worst things I have ever done. I wish someone would see the person who survived. I’ve tried finding help, but being a woman without children has made finding resources incredibly difficult. Shelters and programs aren’t always available for women in my situation, and I keep falling through the cracks. I am tired. Not tired like I need a nap. I am tired in my soul. I’m tired of being strong. I’m tired of pretending I’m okay. I’m tired of wondering where my next meal, shower, or safe place to sleep will come from. I’m tired of feeling like my life is never going to be normal. I don’t want to be rich. I don’t want anyone to save me forever. I just want a chance. A chance to have a safe home. Running water. A bathroom. A kitchen. A bed. A chance to work, heal, and finally build a life that isn’t centered around surviving trauma. Please help me survive this part too. If you can donate, even a small amount, it could help me get closer to stable housing and basic necessities. If you can’t donate, please share this. You never know who might see this and decide that my life is worth helping. I just want to be okay. After everything I’ve survived, I don’t think that’s too much to ask. Thank you for reading my story.