Hi, my name is Ayania, and I am a single mother of six precious children. I’m writing this with my hands still trembling and my heart still trying to understand why this happened to us, but I am determined to rise above this darkness.

On November 12, 2025, our home, the place my children slept, laughed, and tried to feel safe, was randomly shot up. When I heard the gunshots, I hit the floor instantly. My babies were upstairs in their beds, and all I could do was pray that none of those bullets would touch them. Hearing the shots and not knowing if my children were safe… that terror is something I will never forget for the rest of my life, but it will not define us.

We have only lived here for seven months, and it has been one traumatic moment after another. Back in August, something terrible happened inside this same home, and it shook us all. I had to quit my job to be there for my children mentally and emotionally because I am all they have. There is no help from their fathers. It has always just been me trying to hold six little hearts together, but I am strong and resilient.

Now, after this shooting, my kids are too scared to come home. As their mother, it hurts me not to be able to promise them safety… that pain stays with me every second, but I am determined to create a safe haven for them. With the holidays coming, I am being forced into a decision that no mother should ever have to face: Do I use the little we have to move my kids somewhere safe, or do I give them even the smallest Christmas so they don’t feel forgotten? I am choosing to focus on the hope and love that surrounds us.

I am reaching out with all the humility in my heart, asking for help, any help from anyone who feels moved by our pain. Even the smallest donation brings us closer to safety. Even a share gives us hope. I am so grateful to every person who stops to read this, pray for us, or help in any way. Thank you for caring about a family fighting to feel safe again.

From a mother trying her best in the darkest moment of her life, thank you. ❤️