On the night of July 4th, our lives changed in a matter of minutes.

A powerful storm tore through our apartment complex, ripping part of the roof off the building and allowing rain to pour into our home. Water flooded through the ceilings until my bedroom ceiling collapsed directly onto my daughter’s bed. By the grace of God, she wasn’t in it when it happened.

When we returned to check on our apartment, we found more ceilings sagging with water, including my daughter’s bedroom and bathroom. Every creak makes us wonder if another section will come down. Despite the damage, we were told it was safe to stay, even though we no longer feel safe sleeping there.

The storm left us without power, and during the chaos, the fire department even had to respond after a nearby tree was sparking against the power lines. You could smell and see the smoke. We were forced to leave our home with only what we could carry. Thankfully, some incredibly kind coworkers came together and paid for a couple of nights in a hotel, giving us a safe place to sleep while we tried to figure out what to do next.

I am a hardworking single mom who has always done everything I can to provide for my daughter. Asking for help is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do, but right now, we need it.

On top of everything else my car isn’t at its best. It has broken down several times this week. I just want to be able to get to work, help our patients the best I can, and get home safely with my daughter.