May grace and peace be upon you.

My name is Ariyah Isaac, and I am organizing this fundraiser on behalf of my dear friend and sister, Tawanna L. Davis; her husband, Nicholas DeSandro III; and their seven children.

I met Tawanna and her family while traveling abroad in 2015. We have remained close ever since, and I love her and her family deeply. I am asking for your help as they work through an urgent documentation process and seek a safe path home to the United States.

Nicholas is a veteran who served in the United States military and National Guard during the Bush administration. He and Tawanna are the parents of three sons and four daughters, and their family has lived abroad since 2013. During that time, they have taught children across several parts of the world and have worked to establish a Kingdom-centered school where children can learn the foundational truths of the Word of God from home.

On August 7, their 14-year-old son, Malachi, was struck by a car and taken to the hospital. Nicholas rushed to his aid, but Tawanna was then unable to contact either of them or determine their whereabouts for two days. She later learned that they were being detained because of expired visa and passport documentation.

By the grace of God, the entire family has now been reunited and has received assistance from the U.S. Embassy. However, their emergency is not over.

Two of Tawanna and Nicholas’s children were born at home and require DNA testing to establish the necessary family relationship for their U.S. documentation. Because the testing must be processed through an approved U.S. laboratory, Tawanna has been told that the process may take approximately two months.

During this waiting period, the family of nine urgently needs access to adequate food, clean drinking water, hygiene supplies, and other basic necessities. Their access to phones is also extremely limited, making it difficult for them to communicate with loved ones and coordinate assistance.

Tawanna reports that Nicholas has not received medical care and that Malachi received treatment only once before the family reached the Embassy. She has also reported that family members have experienced dehydration because of limited water and poor ventilation. Their immediate priority is to remain together, complete the required documentation, and safely return to the United States.

The family has been informed that repatriation loans may be processed after the children’s documentation is completed. However, they were also told that the cost of returning the entire family may exceed the available budget. For that reason, we are raising enough to cover the full cost of one-way travel for all nine family members if necessary, while also providing for their essential needs during the documentation process.

How the Funds Will Be Used

Our initial fundraising goal is $8,500, focused on the family’s most urgent needs:

* $1,000 — Food, clean drinking water, hygiene products, and essential communication

* $6,500 — Emergency one-way airfare to the United States for the family of nine

* $500 — Essential baggage and local transportation

* $500 — GoFundMe transaction fees and unforeseen emergency expenses

These amounts are planning estimates because final travel costs have not yet been confirmed.

The family has been told that repatriation loans may become available after the children’s documentation is completed. However, the available assistance may not cover the full cost of returning all nine family members to the United States. Donations will help cover any transportation shortfall while providing food, clean water, communication, and other necessities during the documentation process.

If government assistance covers more of the airfare than anticipated, remaining donations will be used only for the family’s immediate necessities, travel expenses, and essential needs as they return to the United States. We will update donors as reliable information becomes available.