On May 16, 2025, just one day before his high school graduation, my 18-year-old son’s life was changed forever.

In the middle of the night, I received a phone call no mother should ever have to get. My son, his voice full of fear, told me he had been shot. He had been set up and shot three times by people he once considered friends. One of those bullets is now lodged in his spine, leaving him medically paralyzed.

What should have been a weekend filled with caps, gowns, and celebration became a nightmare. Instead of cheering him across the graduation stage, we found ourselves in the hospital praying he would live. Because he had just turned 18, I wasn’t even allowed to see him right away. I waited over five excruciating hours to be by his side, hours filled with fear, helplessness, and heartbreak.

Now, we face a long, uncertain road. My son will need intensive rehabilitation, specialized equipment, and long-term care. As his mother, I am doing everything I can, but the financial burden is overwhelming.

I thought that by moving to Texas from Chicago, we would escape the crime that took the life of his father. 

I am a single mother of six. One of my children is currently in college, another is pursuing his dream of boxing, and I’m still caring for my younger kids at home. I work as a nurse and had to take time off to get my son situated, but I had to return to work sooner than I wanted to because I simply couldn't afford to stay home.

We need help, any help you can give. Funds raised will go toward rehabilitation and therapy, home accessibility modifications, medical equipment and supplies, transportation to and from medical appointments, and general adjustments that we will need to make to the house, as we adjust to this new reality. If you’re able to donate, we are deeply grateful. If you can’t, please consider sharing this story and keeping my son in your prayers.