On December 19th, 2025, our son Renn was born, completing our family of five. Welcoming him into the world was one of the happiest moments of our lives. Like many families, we planned carefully so we could spend time bonding with our newborn and helping our household adjust during those first important months.

My partner, Mickey, was approved for paid maternity leave, and I was approved for Minnesota bonding leave so I could stay home and help care for our new baby. I work a stable, well-paying job and was told the program would provide close to my normal income while I was off.

But when the payments finally arrived, they were about 65% less than what we were told to expect.

That sudden drop in income hit our family immediately and forced us into forbearance totaling about $7,000 just to keep up with basic bills.

Then things got even harder.

During the coldest part of winter between December and February, our furnace stopped working. Living in Minnesota, that simply isn’t something a family with young children can go without. We applied for emergency assistance through Lakes & Pines utility assistance, but unfortunately we were denied.

With no other option to keep our children warm, we relied on space heaters throughout the house, which caused our electricity bill to skyrocket to $1,900.

As if that wasn’t enough, in March one of our two vehicles,my truck broke down due to multiple loose wheel bearings, requiring about $2,000 in repairs. With everything else already piling up, we had no choice but to sell the truck just to try to stabilize our finances.

Right now, we are doing everything we possibly can to stay afloat. We’ve been selling personal belongings from our home, cutting every possible expense, and doing whatever we can to keep food on the table and a roof over our heads.

Despite all of our efforts, we are now facing the very real fear of losing our home.

That’s why we are humbly asking for help.

Our Goal

We are hoping to raise $8,000 to help stabilize our family and get through this crisis. These funds would help us:

• Catch up on $7,000 in forbearance

• Pay down the $1,900 electricity bill from emergency heating

• Cover essential household expenses while we get back on our feet

This support would give our family the chance to reset, recover, and move forward instead of falling deeper into financial hardship.

How You Can Help

If you’re able to donate, even $5 or $10 it truly makes a difference for our family. Small acts of kindness add up faster than people realize.

If donating isn’t possible, sharing this fundraiser with friends, family, or social media would mean just as much. The more people who see our story, the better chance we have of reaching our goal.

We know times are difficult for many people, so from the bottom of our hearts thank you for even taking the time to read our story. Your compassion, support, and prayers mean more to our family than words can express.

With gratitude,

Our Family ❤️