My mom is the strongest person I know and the only parent I have. She raised me and my sister as a single mother as best she could. She raised us alone my father was never in the picture, and my sister's father left not long after she was born. She got her lupus diagnosis when I was young and pushed through that to provide for us both with all she had. For anyone who is a fan of hip-hop/rap you may know the song dear mama by tupac. That to me has always been her song. The mom alone doing whatever she could to make her kids happy, to provide a simple meal even if she goes hungry.

Over the past three years, my mom’s health has slowly declined. She worked in casino security, but the stress from her job began to take a toll on her heart, eventually forcing her to quit. Not long after, she suffered a bad fall that injured her knee. Despite two surgeries, her knee hasn’t improved, and she’s now scheduled for a third operation in the coming months. The recovery timeline for after that is expected to be around 6 weeks. As if all this wasn't already bad enough, my mom was also diagnosed with kidney failure due to lupus, and she now requires dialysis three times a week.

As her primary support and caretaker, I’ve watched her face each new challenge with courage, but it’s been incredibly hard to keep up with the mounting expenses. We’re struggling to cover prescription copays, rides to appointments when I can’t drive her, groceries, and car insurance, which is now at risk because I haven’t been able to pay it. Our plates(car registration) are about to expire, and we can’t renew them without insurance. On top of that, we’re trying to keep up with heat, gas, and rent. While LIHEAP has helped with utilities, we’ve already used up our chances for rent assistance from local programs, many of which only offer one-time help.

So with all that said, if you can help, It would mean so much to us—whatever you feel able to give. I know times are tough for everyone right now, and any support is deeply appreciated. Even if you can't give sharing this post where you feel comfortable is just as valid a way to support. Thank you for taking the time to read our story and for considering a donation to help us get through this challenging time.