My name is Stephanie, and I am a single mother of three children— two girls and one boy who is autistic. I am asking for help so I can keep a roof over our heads and begin the healing I desperately need after five years of relentless trauma.
From 2019 to 2024, my life unraveled in ways I never could have prepared for. During those years, I lost my grandmother, sold my childhood home, moved multiple times, and struggled through postpartum depression while homeschooling my autistic son and caring for my two baby daughters during the pandemic. My then-husband was rarely home, working as a firefighter-paramedic, and I was left to carry the household entirely on my own while also battling chronic pain.
When we finally settled in our current home, things only got harder. I endured daily abuse from my son—incidents so severe that I had to call the sheriff multiple times, including the night he tried to kill me. At the same time, my marriage broke down. My ex-husband withdrew completely, leaving me emotionally neglected and alone while I tried to keep our family afloat.
In 2024, I thought life might finally turn a corner after filing for divorce. But instead, I was hit with new traumas: my son was hospitalized at an adolescent mental health facility, and within days, I was sexually assaulted at work as a massage therapist—not once, but twice in the span of a few months. By spring 2025, I was too afraid and traumatized to keep working.
Now I have a diagnosis of Complex PTSD (CPTSD). Every day feels like survival. I am the only provider for my children, yet I cannot work in my current condition. I am facing mounting bills, back property taxes that could cost us our home, and the crushing weight of trying to give my kids stability when I can barely hold myself together. I want to heal—not just for myself, but for my children. They’ve seen and experienced too much trauma, and they deserve a safe, loving, predictable home. I need specialized trauma therapy (not covered by insurance) and time to focus on recovery. Without that, I remain trapped in a cycle of fight-or-flight, unable to move forward.
I don’t want to be a victim. I am working on letting go of shame and learning to ask for help. This campaign is my attempt to do just that—because I am truly out of options, and almost out of time.
Your donation, no matter the size, will go directly toward keeping our home, paying bills, and covering the therapy I need to begin healing. Even if you can’t give, sharing this campaign with others means the world.
Thank you for reading, for caring, and for helping me fight for a chance at healing and stability. One day, I hope I’ll be able to pay it forward.
From 2019 to 2024, my life unraveled in ways I never could have prepared for. During those years, I lost my grandmother, sold my childhood home, moved multiple times, and struggled through postpartum depression while homeschooling my autistic son and caring for my two baby daughters during the pandemic. My then-husband was rarely home, working as a firefighter-paramedic, and I was left to carry the household entirely on my own while also battling chronic pain.
When we finally settled in our current home, things only got harder. I endured daily abuse from my son—incidents so severe that I had to call the sheriff multiple times, including the night he tried to kill me. At the same time, my marriage broke down. My ex-husband withdrew completely, leaving me emotionally neglected and alone while I tried to keep our family afloat.
In 2024, I thought life might finally turn a corner after filing for divorce. But instead, I was hit with new traumas: my son was hospitalized at an adolescent mental health facility, and within days, I was sexually assaulted at work as a massage therapist—not once, but twice in the span of a few months. By spring 2025, I was too afraid and traumatized to keep working.
Now I have a diagnosis of Complex PTSD (CPTSD). Every day feels like survival. I am the only provider for my children, yet I cannot work in my current condition. I am facing mounting bills, back property taxes that could cost us our home, and the crushing weight of trying to give my kids stability when I can barely hold myself together. I want to heal—not just for myself, but for my children. They’ve seen and experienced too much trauma, and they deserve a safe, loving, predictable home. I need specialized trauma therapy (not covered by insurance) and time to focus on recovery. Without that, I remain trapped in a cycle of fight-or-flight, unable to move forward.
I don’t want to be a victim. I am working on letting go of shame and learning to ask for help. This campaign is my attempt to do just that—because I am truly out of options, and almost out of time.
Your donation, no matter the size, will go directly toward keeping our home, paying bills, and covering the therapy I need to begin healing. Even if you can’t give, sharing this campaign with others means the world.
Thank you for reading, for caring, and for helping me fight for a chance at healing and stability. One day, I hope I’ll be able to pay it forward.
Organizer
Stephanie Mabie
Organizer
Watsonville, CA