I have not spent a night away from Mom since January 19, 2021. For my 26th birthday on June 23, I am asking for the gift of alone time to recharge.

Mom is enrolled at Joe's Place Caring Cottage in O'Fallon, IL for their temporary overnight care program, but I have not been able to afford it yet. Her insurance does not cover respite care. 

Some background: I am an only child. In July 2019, my dad died unexpectedly. Mom lived in a nursing home from September 2019 - January 2021 at which point she moved in with me. Her dementia is severe and she often does not know who I am at this point. It truly is very hard sometimes. 

Thankfully, I do have help. The IL Department on Aging covers 30 hours of in-home care per week, and we found an amazing caregiver (Gary) who has worked with us for months and doesn't charge nearly as much as he's worth. But at the end of every day, I have to be home to get Mom ready for bed, tuck her in, and kiss her goodnight. And I have to stay home while she is asleep in case she gets up in the middle of the night...which happens more often than I wish it would. 

I've never asked for money like this before and I feel a little sheepish about it. I finished my master's degree and work full time, and I can make ends meet, but I simply don't have the extra income to pay for any overnight care. I still owe the nursing home money, and caring for Mom in and of itself is costly. 

So...if you want to help me celebrate my birthday, any gift whatsoever that I could put towards overnight respite care would be deeply appreciated. I've accepted my role as full-time caregiver and I'm doing my best to take care of myself and still live the life of a woman in her mid-20s. I love Mom so much and I want to keep taking care of her for as long as I can. But after 149 nights, I could sure use a little break. 

Thank you for reading and considering this birthday request!