<div>i was encouraged by many to create this go fund me. I really did not want to. Vulnerability is important in survival. Vulnerability conquers shame. However, this exhibition of vulnerability was very hard for me to transmit to you all. Not only because it’s a tough subject, but because money is involved.
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<div>I did NOT use AI to write this.
</div>
<div>Some of you may already know what happened to our family in 2022. My <strong>best</strong> <strong>friend</strong> lost her first and only child, Liam lost a little brother, and I nearly lost my life. Losing a loved one; losing a child to gun violence, devastated my ability to be a lot of things my son needed me to be for the next two years that would follow. I survived near death in the ICU in the summer of 2024. My son has been strong and understanding, and an overall happy child. He doesn't feel like we don't already have enough of anything (except for fast food of course, he wants more of that), but he is never worried about our situation. That is how it should be. I bear the weight of keeping it that way. We are as close as a mother and son could be. We are each other’s heroes and pals! I had him before my brain was fully developed, so we kinda grew up together! When I told him that, he thought it was neat.
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<div><br />
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<div><strong>What he really needs is a room of his own.</strong> We desperately need an upgrade to a 3-bedroom townhome in the same neighborhood in which we currently stay. Right now, he sleeps in the living room with a divider for privacy.
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<div><br />
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<div>I have a job. It doesn't pay well, and I fear I lack the child support to be able to hold another. My kid's father doesn't pay child support; we are still trying to serve him papers. I was supposed to be on disability for the entirety of this past year. I have a permanent, if not terminal, disease, so the team at UofM told me I should be on it until I return to good health, but I was denied.
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<div><br />
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<div>I got healthy, I became a sponsor/peer support for addicts in the community. I also help victims of abuse as carefully and gracefully as I can. I am fit to work; I've been ready to work for months, but my doctors and therapist disagree. They are all too familiar with my tendency to let my health go to keep a job and others happy and secure. However, I’d like to have a job to keep me out of trouble! So I started school, then dropped out to take a break. I had to. I became impatient and needed to make money. So I got one job. Not enough hours. Now I’ve applied to 2 more.
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<div><br />
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<div>I really did not want to start a GoFundMe. Yes, I've asked family. They've done plenty to help in smaller ways. They are either not willing or able to help with something like a security deposit and extra moving expenses. I don’t want to owe anyone money anymore.
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<div>So please, do what you can for your community, free of charge as I do. And give as much as you feel comfortable towards this; <strong>for my son to have his own room by the time he turns 11.</strong> A fresh start for Christmas or the New Year.
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<div><br />
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<div>It would change our lives in a way some of you would understand if you're my age and you know me. Some of you more fortunate who just want to help some kid you barely know probably can’t imagine how much it would mean. Either way, anything helps.
</div>
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</div>
<div>Love,
</div>
<div>Jess &amp; Liam
</div>

Melissa Bailey

Angela Pennell

Anonymous

Michael Schneeweis

Liam&Jess

platform

Platform is iOS

Android

Adyen Google Pay Development Audience

$opt_dummy_attribute

English only

Deprecate Stripe Legacy

dyn_template_ids

Adyen V6 Bene Transfer & MyMoney Campaign Organizers - test01

Bene transfer V6 and AdyenV6MyMoney Campaign Organizers - production

OneTrust next-app audience

fundCountryCode

NextDoor Share Option Users

Fundraisers with Reactions feature capability

fundCurrencyCode

US + Non-charity COs Only

locale

fund country is US and user language is English

personId

comms-internal-person-ids

Enhanced Story Experience Users

Suggested Goal Experience Users

user language is English and fund country: US, AU, DK, FI, IE, NO, SE, CA, GB; 

Poster share - new funds eligible (newest 9/18)

Streaming widgets beta user

paymentProcessor

3DS payment method

user language is English and fundCountry: US, AU, DK, FI, IE, NO, SE, CA, GB; 

GoFundMe Employees

ipAddress

Mark Rieth IP Address

Version 9.2.0 and above

Fund is in English speaking country

desktop

Android v12.11.0 and above

Platform is Android

paymentMethodType

checkoutType

Payment method type group to be vaulted on success

admin pr kit prod

EUR Donation Upsell

Share Text generation Skip Fundraiser

(prod) new funds eligible for amp12 (UGC gallery)

fintrac_cad_idv_form_v2 audience

paymentProcessorAccountId

fallback mode accounts

proCampaignId

p2p legacy startfundraising page

AMP24 New Funds Only PROD (DO NOT MODIFY)

countryCode

charityId

UKCharities

Federated Search Internal Testing

route.pathname community

US Donation Upsell audience 

Auto Thanks Feature Audience

Supporter Comments Eligible Funds

International Only

fundId

braze fundraiser group 

Payment Identity Transfers ATO Risk Check (Targeted) - Production

Fundraiser Saved Payment Method Rate Limit Bypass (Production)

leaderboard-partner-id-audience-givepanel

Version 9.2.1 and above

AUD Donation Upsell audience

fundraiserCountryCode is US/EN

Active Fundraiser - Smart Default Cadence

DAF Internal

Vault on success card payment method

Platform is iOS v11.0.0 and above

Desktop users

Person ids

United States (US) users

allow yuno fundraisers for test

Mexico country code

Posters INTL

NPO Profile Opted-In

iOS at or above 12.4.0

non-US recurring donors

Canada Campaign Owner Group

Fundraiser Without Meta Link

Scheduler payment tester gorup

charityCommunityId

Charities allow to be claimed unclaimed (PRD)

Canada (CA) users

currencyCode

UC Tipping v20250115 International

pymk_production_xplr_fe_team

Android at or above 12.2.0

Profile photo entry point audience

smart goals (fundraiser/manage) on test01

Activity Tracking v1 Beta Testing

writePath

Stream Notification

start gfm intl allowed locales

Platform is iOS v11.2.0 and above

unclaimed charities

prod_ach_audience

AI Chatbot Audience

amp13 only new funds (prod) (anyword auto)

UC Flow Enabled (Prod)

Payment Identity Beneficiary Verification - Production

shared notification bell audience

Custom users

ach frontend audience

Android v11.0.0 and above

Users Receiving Payments Paused Notifications

smart goals test01

Manage Coach - US English Organizers Only + new funds only

Team EGG - IP Address list

Fundraiser Without Instagram Deep Link

Native 11.4.0 and above

UC Tipping v20250107

Users Receiving Braze KYC Validation Failed

Native 11.3.0 and above

Influencer - Prod

US fundraisers and US users

ai_title_page

anyword

openai

control

manual_entry

userEmail

template_id

userId

fundUrl

isCharityCo

email

appVersion

shouldBucketIntoExperiment

partnerId

donationCadence

isActiveFundraiser

isPartner

isMobile

npoProfileOptIn

fundIsLinkedWithMeta

hasSessionDonation

isCampaignOwner

fundHasInstagramDeepLink

Native 11.4.0 and higher

New funds eligible - Video Sharing (PROD)

GB Donation Upsell audience 

Auto Thanks V3 Rollout Audience

Thank you V3 testing whitelist

isRecurringFriendly

Is Recurring Friendly

Excluded funds - Video Sharing

Logged In Users

CH Donation Upsell audience

Android v10.6.0 and above

userCurrencyCode

Localized Currency

v11.5.0 and above

testAudience

pathname

Survicate

appVersion is at or above 12.8.0

Non-charity fund

isChallengeFundraiser

challenge-fundraisers

Payment Identity Launch Verification - Production

New funds eligible - Posters v2

CAD Donation Upsell Audience

Braze Email Tester

NPO Profile Opted-Out

iOS App Version

hasKnownDonors

PYMK has donors

iOS v12.3.0 and above

Liam&Jess

Still $2,230 to go. Help us build momentum.