My name is Liara, and I am a single mother, immigrant, and small business owner trying to rebuild my life in Canada.

I moved to Canada in 2018 without speaking English, with the hope of building a better future. I dedicated myself to my family, becoming a stay-at-home wife while working hard to learn the language and take every free course I could to improve my opportunities. When I finally started taking small entry-level jobs, the pandemic hit and made it even harder to move forward.

In 2021, I became pregnant, and in 2022, I gave birth to my daughter — the greatest love of my life.

What is not visible in this summary is the emotional hardship I experienced behind the scenes. During my immigration journey and pregnancy, I went through ongoing psychological abuse. After my daughter was born, the situation became increasingly unstable, with constant conflict and a home environment that no longer felt safe or sustainable.

In early 2023, before asking for separation, I began cleaning houses on weekends while still in postpartum recovery, doing everything I could to prepare myself financially to leave. At that time, I was also placed under financial strain due to debt accumulated on my credit card, which I am now legally dealing with.

In October 2023, I made the difficult decision to separate. I was emotionally and physically exhausted, balancing work, motherhood, and an unhealthy home environment.

In early 2024, I filed for divorce after facing serious legal and housing challenges. I had to leave my home under extremely difficult circumstances, including temporarily leaving my daughter in her father’s care while I worked to stabilize my situation. This was one of the most painful decisions of my life.

During that time, I worked tirelessly — commuting by bus, cleaning houses every day, and doing everything I could to rebuild from nothing. Despite the challenges, I never stopped fighting to be present in my daughter’s life.

In June 2025, with the help of my lawyer, we reached a shared custody agreement. However, the divorce process is still ongoing, and the financial and legal burden continues.

Since August 2025, I have been solely responsible for all of my daughter’s expenses — including housing, food, clothing, transportation, and daily care — without any financial support from the other party.

Today, I am asking, with humility and courage, for help.

I currently have approximately $6,000 in legal fees, and I need continued financial support to proceed with my case and finally close this chapter of my life.

Any contribution, no matter the amount, will help me move forward.

If there are any remaining funds, they will be placed into my daughter’s RESP to support her future education.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story, for your kindness, and for your support during this very difficult time.

You can see my journey like cleaner here: @verbenahomeservices

With gratitude,

Liara Bastos