Aloha! My name is Maile and I currently live in the panhandle of Florida. After finally leaving an emotionally, mentally, and verbally abusive relationship in March, I am moving to return home to my family on Kaua'i in Hawai'i. I am moving into a studio apartment with 6 other family members.

Here's a snippet of my backstory: My mother had me at 15 years old. We were shipped 5,000 miles away to Alabama, away from all family. My father did not know this was happening. I was fostered and then illegally adopted (they did not get my father's signature; the courts let me fall through the cracks). That is only a small part of my story as I was sexually abused since the age of 4 years old in the house I grew up in with the illegally adopted parents. I had no idea who my biological parents were until I was 18 years old. I met my mother not long after and met my father 4 years later. In 2023, I first met all my family on Kaua'i. It felt like I never left or skipped a beat. My aunties instructed me to finish college and then return home.

My kupuna (ancestors), my koko (blood), and undefeated determination to find where I was from kept me alive. I completely removed myself from the illegally adopted family 3 years ago. I have been in the abusive relationship for a year and a half but recently left in March after the police got involved. It was terrifying as I feared for my physical safety.

I have major expenses for this big move, or as I see it, my grand homecoming to my island. The greatest expenses are getting my 3 cats, my ohana (family), there with me. As you can read from my story, people weren't always trustworthy, loving, and caring in my lifetime. But you know who was... my cats - Vienna, Graden, and Valentino. They also kept me going; they gave me support when no one else was there.

After selling my car and all of my belongings, I am still short for some of the extensive vet bills. Every penny I am making at work and through selling my valuables is going towards my move home. And I'm sure you know that Hawai'i is one of THE most expensive places to live.

Any and every dollar makes a difference. I have my cats' and my tickets booked and I don't want some vet bills to be the thing that holds me back. I need my ohana (family) more than anything right now.

Please support my homecoming. It means MORE than you could ever know. Your support is an act of aloha. I promise aloha will come back to you. Take care and mahalo!