A little over four years ago, I survived what doctors told me was impossible, and soon after took on full custody of three children with intensive trauma.and equally intensive behaviors!

Last year, after a terrifying crisis in which one of the children nearly took the life of a sibling, my brother moved into our home. We needed another adult. Love wasn’t enough anymore. We needed another set of eyes, another pair of hands, another person to help hold together what trauma had torn apart.

At the same time, my brother was critical medical fighting battles of his own.

His health had already been fragile. He endured setback after setback, hospitalization after hospitalization. As his medical needs became more complex, our home became one more impossible obstacle to navigate.

Anyone who has cared for children with severe behavioral challenges knows the difference between a house that looks “clean enough” and one that can truly stay clean for someone with significant medical vulnerabilities. We cleaned. We repaired. We started over. Again and again.

Some days we were picking up shattered belongings, patching walls, replacing broken furniture, and trying to restore order before the next appointment, the next crisis, or the next emergency.

It felt like trying to build a house during an earthquake.

Today, my brother is facing the possibility of losing both legs.

I cannot honestly say every hardship led to that outcome, because life and illness are rarely that simple. But I can say this: our family has been carrying more than any one household should have to carry.

We have poured everything we had into keeping everyone safe, cared for, and together.

Now, for the first time in years, we are making the heartbreaking decisions that give each person the best chance to heal.

One child needs a higher level of treatment.

Another needs a different family path.

My brother needs an environment that supports his medical recovery.

And I need to rebuild a home where peace is no longer something we chase, but something we can finally live in. Setting up two new homes on broken pieces and being bankrupt is just not feasible.

This fundraiser is not about escaping responsibility.

It’s about dividing to conquer and rebuilding a foundation that has held through years of crisis until there was simply nothing left to reinforce.

Sometimes the bravest thing a family can do is admit that survival is no longer enough.

It’s time to build a life where healing is possible for everyone.