Hi everyone,

For my 21st birthday, instead of receiving gifts, I want to do something for the person who has given me everything my whole life: my mom, Rosa.

My mom migrated to the United States in her teens, already carrying the weight and responsibilities of raising my older sister on her own. She came here with very little, but she brought with her determination to build a better life for us, no matter how hard it would be. A few years later, she met my dad. They fell in love and built a life together, but when I was only two years old, my dad was deported. Overnight, my mom became a single mother with two young daughters under the age of ten. She never complained. She never asked, "Why me?" She just kept going. She worked, she sacrificed, and she made sure my sister and I had everything we needed, even when she didn't have much to give.

Growing up, we didn't have a lot of money, but my mom always found a way to give us the things we wanted, the things she never had, and the childhood she wished she could've had. She made sure we never felt the struggles she carried alone.

Today, with everything being so expensive, my mom has been stretched thin. She works two jobs and wakes up at 4 A.M. every single day, whether that be with her regular job or Uber. She comes home exhausted and drained and sometimes forgets to take care of herself the way she deserves. She has spent her entire life taking care of everyone else and now I want to take care of her.

This GoFundMe is my birthday wish:

To give my mom even a little bit of relief

To lift some of the stress off her shoulders

To remind her that she is loved, appreciated, and deserving of rest.

If you're able to donate, whether it's $1 or any amount, it would mean the world to me. Every dollar goes towards easing her burden and giving her the care she has always given us.

Thank you so much for reading, caring, and helping me give back to the strongest woman I know.

- Angie