This past year has been about survival, and it’s important to be clear about this: We are not homeless because we gave up. We are here because we refused to put our children in danger.

Our twin boys, Jaxson and Jayden, have been with us through every step of this year. Jaxson has complex medical needs and disabilities and has spent much of his life in hospitals undergoing major surgeries. Jayden was right there beside him through all of it, growing up in hospital rooms, waiting rooms, and moments no child should have to experience.

Earlier this year, the first apartment we moved into became unlivable after a sprinkler burst. We were not provided hotel accommodations or alternative housing. For nearly three weeks, while repairs were being made, we were left to manage on our own. That disruption extended Jaxson’s hospital stay and forced us to start over completely.

We rebuilt anyway. We were eventually moved into another unit nearby, only to discover it was riddled with toxic black mold. For a medically fragile child, this is dangerous. We spoke up immediately and our reports went ignored for almost 2 months. Eventually ISD made report of the mold and we were forced to move out early October by the city. Instead of addressing the conditions, our landlord chose to evict us. We are now staying in a shelter and waiting on a court date where he will have to explain to a judge why he evicted a family with a heavily disabled child from a mold-infested apartment.

At the same time, everything else fell apart. We lost food assistance. We lost home nursing support. We lost income opportunities because caring for a medically complex child doesn’t pause for bills. And still, our boys never stopped smiling. Despite everything, Jaxson and Jayden have shown more joy, resilience, and strength than we ever thought possible. They are the reason we keep going, even when it feels impossible.

We have already started over once entirely on our own. Now we are being forced to do it again, with no housing, no benefits, and no safety net left.

Right now, we are asking for help so we can stabilize. Donations will go toward food, basic necessities, transportation, medical-related expenses, and helping us secure safe, stable housing while we continue caring for our children. This is incredibly hard for us to ask, but after everything this year has brought, we truly need support. We’ve done everything we can to protect our children and keep moving forward, and right now we just need help getting back on our feet. If you’re able to donate or share, it means more than we can put into words. Thank you for standing with our family.