Help Roxanna Rebuild Her Life

For those of you who don’t know my best friend Roxanna Marie Laughlin, allow me to introduce you to one of the most beautiful, kind-hearted, and resilient people you will ever meet in your life. Roxie and I met in middle school 20 plus years ago, and we’ve been family ever since. I have watched this woman go through some really tough shit over the years, but she always always perseveres and finds away to be a bright light for everyone around her. For those who don’t know, she became paralyzed a few years ago after a terrible accident, and while it has been really hard for her, the way she has carried herself through this new chapter of her life has made me proud to be her best friend. She has continued to work, take care of her children, and also continue to be her fun-loving, wild self through it all. I am so proud of the person she has become over the years, if you know Roxie you know that she has the biggest heart and has even continued to care for other people’s children while going through so much herself. Recently she has lost her home and her job, and her and her kids have had to live in a shelter. She’s done her best to remain positive during this time, she’s reached out to any and all resources that she can, and over and over again she has been denied any help or even a safe place for her and her children to live in. What kind of world do we live in where a disabled mother and her kids cannot get any help in a time of need??? It makes me incredibly angry, and it should make all of YOU angry too. Now because of the poor conditions in the shelter they were staying in, she unfortunately has gotten an infection and just had her gallbladder removed, and will have her a toe and bone from her foot amputated today. On top of that, the social worker she was working with had told her that she might have found a home for her and her children, but now states that it’s not going to work out. So she is in the hospital dealing with all this, not knowing what will happen when she leaves. But let me give you an example of how badass of a person my best friend is. When I visited her a couple days ago, she was still my Roxie, cracking jokes, smiling, and being as positive as she can about the situation. She is actually grateful to be in a safe, warm spot at the moment, and that her kids are with family and ok for the time being. If anyone is deserving of help, it is Roxie. She has hit so many challenges, roadblocks, and obstacles over the years and I can tell she’s getting tired. Tired of fighting just to be able to have what everyone wants, a peaceful life and a place to house her family. Please, if you can donate anything big or small, know that your donating not to some charity that will take your money and help no one, but to a person that actually will thrive and blossom and be able to do all the things she deserves to do in this life, if she can just get through this shitty chapter. If you can give anything big or small know that she will be so grateful for the support of our community, because the resources that are supposed to help people in times like this have been unsupportive in the most disturbing way. Please shower my best friend with love, share this, donate….i love you Rox your gonna get through

—This was written by Tara, another friend of Roxanna's. In the spirit of Christmas and giving to those in need, please consider this family that is apart right now. While you may feel annoyed wrapping your gifts, remember that this mom is heartbroken because she can't even get her kids Christmas presents. While you stress about Christmas dinner, they are wondering if and when they will be together again.