Over the past year my life and the lives of my two children have been turned upside down in ways I never imagined possible. I am creating this fundraiser because I have reached a point where I cannot keep up alone, and I need help protecting my children, keeping a roof over our heads, and rebuilding some sense of stability after being suddenly abandoned financially and emotionally.

My partner pressured me into selling off many of our shared assets and making major financial decisions that I believed were for the future of our family. They stressed the importance of safety and security in a country that would allow them to medically transition and continue their masters degree with a path to gain permanent citizenship outside of the United States for the entire family. Instead, after those assets were gone and our financial safety net had disappeared, they moved to another country and left me behind with our two children, overwhelming shared debt, unpaid bills, and no meaningful plan for how the children or household would be supported from abroad.

Since then, I have been left trying to carry everything on my own:

• rent and basic living expenses
• mounting shared debts
• utilities and overdue bills
• childcare and daily needs for the kids
• legal costs to protect myself financially and begin the divorce process

What has made this even harder is that I was left without savings or any backup plan. The calculated financial buffer that I had in place started to dwindle as my partners expenses were more than they initially thought and they had no way to make up the cost difference without a job of their own. I am now facing urgent financial pressure while also trying to keep life as stable and normal as possible for my children during an incredibly painful transition.

One of my most immediate needs is securing a retainer for a divorce attorney so I can begin separating finances and debts legally before the situation becomes even more damaging. I need legal help to protect myself and my children from liabilities that continue to grow, and to establish a path toward financial independence and stability. Without representation, I risk falling even further behind while trying to navigate an overwhelming legal and financial situation alone.

As difficult as it is to ask for help publicly, I am doing this because my children need stability, safety, and a parent who can keep going. Every donation will go directly toward:

• rent and housing security
• utilities and overdue bills
• daily necessities for the children
• transportation and day-to-day survival expenses
• legal retainer and divorce-related costs
• reducing the immediate financial pressure caused by shared debt

If you are unable to donate, sharing this fundraiser would still mean so much to us. Right now, any support — financial or emotional — helps remind me that my children and I are not facing this completely alone.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story and for helping us get through one of the hardest periods of our lives.