Help a Devoted Mother Rebuild After A Year of Survival

My name is Kayla, and I’m a mother of three incredible daughters — ages 12, 11, and 9. I’m reaching out because, despite my strongest efforts, we’ve hit a wall I can’t climb alone. We need a vehicle, and I need help paying small legal fees to reinstate my driver’s license. I’m working with legal aid to try to reduce costs, but there are still out-of-pocket expenses I simply can’t manage on my own right now.

Let me tell you how we got here — because it’s not just about a car. It’s about survival, resilience, and starting over after a storm of trauma and loss.

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Our Journey:

• April 2022: My sister was diagnosed with inoperable brain stem cancer.

• June 2022: I survived a brutal assault by my ex-boyfriend that left me with broken vocal cords.

• July 2022: I learned devastating news.

• August 2022: I packed up our lives and moved my girls and me to Tucson — my hometown — to escape the abuse, start fresh, and heal.

This wasn’t just a move. It was a lifeline. It saved my life. It saved my daughters’ lives.

We left behind the small community of Prescott Valley, where I’d lived since 2005, and came back to Tucson, where I was born. We came with hope and barely anything else. My daughter lost her father when she was just 6 months old. We’ve faced loss before — but this past year has tested us beyond what I ever imagined possible.

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Starting Over, One Step at a Time:

It took me nine months to find work after we arrived. But I didn’t give up. I landed a job at Dairy Queen — my very first job years ago — and eventually became the training manager for two stores.

In August I departed from Dairy Queen, I quickly found a job at Circle K, within walking distance — because I don’t have a driver’s license.

Then, in October, I lost that job too.

And ever since, I’ve been searching — from sunup to sundown, walking into places and applying anywhere I can. I count the “no’s” each day — and I’m told time and again that the gaps in my employment are the reason. But those gaps are survival stories. I wish they could see that.

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Why I’m Asking for Help:

We are without a car.

I am without a license.

I’m without work — for now — but not without drive. I just submitted my license reinstatement application, and I’m working with legal aid to do it the right way, as affordably as possible.

Your support would help us:

• Pay the remaining legal fees to get my license back

• Get a vehicle so I can access better job opportunities and provide stability for my kids

• Reclaim the independence we so desperately need to keep moving forward

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Final Thoughts:

I’m not asking for pity. I’m asking for a hand to help us keep going. We’ve already made it through the worst. We are safe now. That’s the first and best part.

But we need stability. We need hope. And I’m not too proud to ask for help to give that to my daughters — they deserve it more than anyone.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading our story. Any support — whether it’s a donation or a share — makes a world of difference.

With love,

Kayla Downey

& my girls