In the span of just a few months, my life changed in ways I wasn’t prepared for. I lost my mother at the start of 2025, and while I was still trying to process that loss, everything else around me began to fall apart.

After she passed, I stepped up to handle everything she left behind, doing my best to stay strong and keep moving forward. Then in April, I lost my job. What savings I had quickly went toward staying afloat, and before long, I was relying on credit cards just to cover basic living expenses.

Trying to make things more manageable, I found a roommate to split costs—but that situation didn’t work out. They weren’t able to keep up with their share, and I was left covering everything on my own. What was supposed to help ended up putting me further behind.

I’m working again now and doing everything I can to catch up, but the numbers just don’t stretch far enough. After taxes and child support, I bring home about $600 per paycheck. My rent is $675, my car payment is $351, and other basic expenses add up quickly. Even working, I’m still falling behind, and it feels like I can’t get ahead no matter how hard I try.

I’m not giving up—I’m trying to rebuild and move forward—but I could really use some help getting out from under this pressure so I can stabilize and keep going.

If you’re able to help in any way, I’m truly grateful. And if not, even sharing this would mean a lot to me. Thank you for taking the time to read my story.