MarineFamily Devastated by Florence

After having to relocate during Hurricane Florence, my husband Carlos, two daughters, and myself (Lawanda) came back to our newly purchased home in Jacksonville, NC (our very first at that) to find it damaged significantly as well as our car totaled. Our house took in over 2 feet of flooding, which means floors, carpets, cabinets, refrigerator, washer/dryer, electrical wiring, wall structures, etc. are in need of repair as well as any furniture/items on the ground floor. We are so thankful that we are still here, as we know that others have lost lives to Florence, but this was heartbreaking to come back to and we are now humbly asking our friends, families, and even strangers that are able to give, to please help us rebuild our lives and our home. Any amount of donation is received with the upmost appreciation and gratitude and will be used to repair damages, and replace anything lost during Florence.

Repairs need to start immediately for the safety of our family so that mold contamination can be contained, but unfortunately since we just recently moved in at the end of August, most of our money was spent toward the purchase of this home as well as furnishing it (which now needs to be thrown out) as well as preparing for our child on the way. Regrettably, we do not have flood insurance to cover the expense of the damages, which are expected to be anywhere from 25,000 to 30,000 in cost. My husband, Carlos, is planning to DIY as much as he can because of our lack of funds, but due to his autoimmune disease it poses higher risks for him to becoming ill.

We're not expecting everyone to shoulder this bill for us, because we plan to do as much as we can, but honestly this tragedy has cost us way more than we can possibly afford on our own, on top of the debt we already owe, which is why we're asking for help. This year has been unbelievably tough on our family, both financially and emotionally, and we have had to make a lot of sacrifices to finally make that big step to become home owners. I recently this year was transferred as a patient to the Wounded Warriors Battalion East, and that alone has taken an incredible toll on my personal well being and health as well as our family. On top of that, I'm currently dealing with a high-risk pregnancy, and our daughter Laila has been suffering with seizures. We've for the most part kept our struggles to ourselves, and made do as best as we can, but Florence has sadly been our breaking point. We want to provide our two daughters as well as our baby on the way with the best that we can give them, and if that means humbling ourselves and asking for much needed help then we will gladly do so. If you are unable to donate, prayers are also needed and appreciated as we try to keep our spirits uplifted and and our outlooks positive, and if you don't mind we will also be grateful if you can share this gofundme on your social media pages! 

Every dollar and share and prayer is beyond meaningful to us! Thank you all for thinking of me and my family in this hard time!! We so appreciate it!