Niki Eckstrom is a devoted single mom and a talented dog groomer who has always put her family and clients first. Over the past couple of years, Niki’s health has taken a turn for the worse. She’s endured countless ER visits and medical appointments, only to finally receive a diagnosis of two degenerative discs, narrowing of the spine, and nerve damage. The pain is so severe that she can barely walk, let alone continue her work grooming dogs—a job she loves and relies on to support her family.

As if her health challenges weren’t enough, Niki’s housing situation has become increasingly unstable. Her landlord has raised her rent six times in four years, including increases when she temporarily moved her father in to care for him during his battle with cancer. Despite her father moving out, the rent continued to climb, and the house itself has ongoing issues like broken outlets and a non-functioning bathroom light that the landlord refuses to fix. With Washington State’s new rent cap only recently in place, Niki has spent years without protection from these increases.

Niki’s grooming business is run out of her home, which presents two major problems: the setup doesn’t allow for good body mechanics, worsening her pain, and she feels trapped in her current living situation. She dreams of purchasing a used mobile grooming van, which would give her the freedom to move, work in a safer environment, and provide for her two children. She’s found options that could make this dream possible, but without help, she can’t move forward. Any support you can give could dramatically change Niki’s life and help her move forward.