My Safety Isn’t Optional — Phase 1 Fundraiser

Survivor reclaiming safety: funds will secure tech, legal aid, therapy, and relocation

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$4,018 raised of 

My Safety Isn’t Optional — Phase 1 Fundraiser

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More evidence & resources here: EscapingStalking.com
$4018 has been spent on recovery so far, thank you all!
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For years, I experienced a pattern of digital intrusion, physical and online stalking, and psychological manipulation that affected nearly every area of my life. People referenced private conversations and ideas I had never posted publicly or spoken to anyone about. Fake accounts were created using the names of people I spoke to or tried to date. Strangers approached me at events I told no one I was attending with information that only existed inside my phone or within the privacy of my home. As of 2/22/26 I still experience attempted intimidation, veiled threats, and smear campaigning online as a result of speaking out.

At first, I didn’t want to believe it. I questioned myself. I suspended disbelief because the alternative felt too heavy. But over time, the patterns repeated too consistently to ignore. That’s where many people get stuck- frozen between intuition and proof, suffering in silence. Instead of shutting down, I focused on learning everything I could, regulating my nervous system, and documentation. I began changing one variable at a time to narrow down exactly how this was all happening.

On August 6, 2023, I was followed to my gym by a fellow Twitch live streamer who was the creator of an online community I had distanced myself from four months earlier after I ran out of benefit of the doubt to give. As I walked toward my car, I got a gut feeling to chose a slightly different route than usual, so I did. When I got to my car, he moved quickly from the direction of my normal walking path and got into a car parked directly in front of mine.

He was wearing a scarf that I had accidentally left behind at my ex’s home in 2021 after I moved out. We made 0.5 seconds of eye contact, he turned his neck to reverse away, the scarf slipped from his face under the bright parking lot lights, and I saw him clearly- including distinctive details such as the placement of grey in his beard.

That moment shifted everything for me. It was no longer abstract or digital, I could no longer doubt what my gut had been screaming at me.

As the cyber-stalking and online harassment that indicated unauthorized access continued, I methodically narrowed down vulnerabilities by changing one thing at a time then waiting to see if things persisted. One by one I identified compromised technology and security gaps that had allowed prolonged access to my private life. I learned things about online security and privacy that I had never heard mentioned before, and learned about vulnerabilities in systems that abusers can take advantage of that I would never otherwise assume people spent time doing. During that period, I experienced multiple incidents of financial fraud, suspicious approaches to my new apartment's address that I hadn't shared with anyone socially yet, and repeated intimidation that coincided with my online activity and named the specific people I was speaking to. Concerning patterns of suspicious, specifically timed behavior from my neighbor that I was writing off as coincidences immediately disappeared after I replaced my old compromised phone. I still have issues intermittently where I live, but my new privacy conscious phone and online strategy at very least provided me some much needed room to breathe.

The impact this abuse had was severe.

I stopped taking public gigs doing what I love.
I stopped speaking freely.
I didn’t feel safe going to the gym or socializing.
I isolated and paused my businesses to protect others from being harmed as well.
I stopped using my phone for anything much other than a background noise maker and began doing anything that really mattered in analog (which honestly has been a major win, highly recommend).

For years, I have rebuilt and hardened my digital security, documented everything carefully, and begun pursuing legal avenues. While my digital life is now largely secure, I still live in an environment connected to past harassment and still need to replace critical network and safety equipment. Relocation and legal protection are now urgent priorities.

When I initially reported being followed, I was dismissed and told to “just disappear.” Silence did not create safety. Documentation did.

This fundraiser supports:

• Strengthening physical safety
• Legal and professional support
• Relocation from an unsafe environment
• Recovery from financial disruption and lost income
• Ongoing trauma-informed care
• Creation of free resources for stalking and abuse survivors

I carried this alone for far too long. I feel grateful that I navigated a period that could have ended very differently, but I still live where many of these incidents occurred. I am choosing safety, stability, forward movement, and transparency. I go to sleep inspired to keep writing, I wake up with new ideas for blogs, book segments, and tools... I create social media content almost daily about digital security and escaping stalking, and I am actively writing my digital security basics and escaping stalking book to build solid foundations for all ages, and so others never have to navigate this alone again. After it's publishing, I will also be providing free documentation to abuse recovery missions, domestic violence shelters, and plan on speaking about my experiences, how I healed, and teaching people of all ages how to protect themselves online.

As of 2/22/2026, I still need support.

Every donation, share, and act of belief helps rebuild stability and momentum- not only for me, but for others who are learning how to document, protect themselves, and be believed as well.

Thank you for standing with me.

Organizer

Illuma Neon Emu
Organizer
Austin, TX

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