Hello everyone,

My name is Sheena and I am suddenly the custodial guardian of my beloved niece. She's a precocious 9 years old and has gone through a hellish last few months, culminating in me gaining custody just this past week. I won't explain the details of what she's been through, to help maintain her privacy, but I can say it was horrible, and she deserves a brand-new start, one I aim to give her.

I'm creating a GFM campaign to help with the sudden, steep upfront costs of rebuilding her life from the ground up, and with the costs of out-of-pocket medical expenses like therapy, new patient exams for pediatricians, etc, (until I can get her on my health insurance.) I also need a larger apartment--she has a huge room now, but that's because I gave her my office and now there's need for another room so I can continue to work from home. I can manage working in the dining room while she sleeps in her new bedroom, safe and sound, until we get to a new place.

She came to me with some new clothes and some new toys, but what we really need is furniture, electronics, funds for medical expenses, transportation, and saving up for the money needed to get a larger apartment.

We will be fine long term-- it's the short term I need help with.

I'm not too proud to ask for help. She is important and worth the effort.