Hi everyone,

We're reaching out today with heavy hearts after a severe thunderstorm ripped through Starkville, MS last night, May 8th, 2025, and devastated our family home. This is the latest in a series of incredibly unfortunate events that have pushed us to our limits.

Just two years ago, a tree fell through our roof, causing significant damage. We were shocked to discover that, due to unforeseen family circumstances, the homeowner's insurance on the property had been canceled. To make the house insurable again, it required a new roof and major renovations. My fiancé, Dalton, and I poured everything we had into bringing our home back to life, working tirelessly and paying for everything out of our own pockets.

We were making progress, but then last year, while removing a dead tree from the front yard, it unfortunately clipped the corner of our front porch, setting us back once more.

Despite these challenges, we persevered. We were still in the process of cleaning up from last year's incident when last night's storm hit. The damage is catastrophic. Our son's entire room, which we had worked so hard to create for him, is ruined and needs to be completely renovated again. Heartbreakingly, we've had to throw away about 80% of his toys and some clothes due to shattered glass.

The storm's fury didn't stop there. Every single window on the front of our house is broken. Our carport is shifted and crushed. Large tree limbs have caused new damage to our roof, and our yard is littered with debris.

To make matters even more difficult, due to a particularly challenging month financially, our renter's insurance, which we diligently maintained for a full year, was not active at the time of the storm. We are now facing this monumental task of rebuilding with absolutely nothing to fall back on.

This is pure devastation for our family. We've put so much love, sweat, and our own limited finances into trying to create a safe and stable home, only to have it repeatedly damaged by forces beyond our control. We simply don't have the funds to fix this extensive new damage, or even to consider moving to a more suitable place right now.

We are asking for your help. Any amount you can contribute will go directly towards helping us rebuild or help securing a safer long-term option (we have the land).

We understand that times are tough for many, and we appreciate you even taking the time to read our story. Sharing this campaign would also mean the world to us.

We are also willing to accept donations in person for Braxton such as kids clothing or toys. Just contact me (Alayna) for information. 

With many thanks,

Dalton, Alayna, Braxton (6), and Gracie (dog)

If you have any questions or need more photos, please reach out!