Hi, my name is Fawn; I am fundraising for one of my close friends, Cierra Barreca.

I met Cierra a little close to a year ago when she walked into my restaurant to apply for a position as a server. I hired her on the spot, as in these days, you do not let someone with such a kind, genuine and selfless personality walk out of your door without offering them the position.

Since that day, Cierra and I have become close friends. I have learned so much about her; she is free, kind, and accepting. She is never offended and seldomly upset. You will always find her with a smile on her face. She tackles issues head on without losing that smile or her positivity.

In March, we all received fantastic news; Cierra found out that she was expecting; she was around eight weeks when she found out. She was so excited, as due to previous health issues, she never imagined that she would be on this journey of bringing a new life into this world. She was so happy and immediately started taking all precautions to ensure a healthy pregnancy. While on this journey, she is also a full-time student with excellent grades, works close to 30 hours a week and just handles it all.

About a month ago, during a study session, Cierra began to bleed, immediately she went to the emergency room. The doctors placed her on bed rest and began monitoring the baby closely. This hard-working woman has been off work for weeks now but has continued her schoolwork as she is a dedicated student and will do everything in her power to make her (and her child’s) dreams come true. She was even attending Zoom classes from the hospital! Cierra has been so strong and brave through this entire journey. Her friends and family have been doing all they can to help support her with meals, visits, love and encouragement. It has been a struggle, but Cierra has faced every new challenge head-on with a positive attitude and determination.

Unfortunately, Cierra has now gone into labor 2 months early, she has been admitted to the hospital where her team of medical professionals are doing all they can to stop her labor, so the baby has more time to grow. We are hoping for the best but are preparing to welcome this bundle of joy into the world with as much support and love as we can. To help ease some of the stress and struggle that Cierra will be experiencing over the next few days, weeks, and months to come, we are asking for support from her friends and family as well as her community.

I know that everyone is struggling these days, but please consider making a donation to Cierra. She and her baby are so important to us, they are our family!

As the saying goes, it takes a village!!