My name is Nicole, I am a single mom of 3 children ages 14, 11, and 9. I have had quite the struggle since 2011. For ten years I had been in a severely abusive relationship with an alcoholic who was physically, mentally and verbally abusive father of my children. The last straw was when my kids’ father put his hands around my neck and choked me until I was almost unconscious. My kids walked in on my husband choking me. I felt that, if my kids did had not heard what was happening, and did not walk in at that moment, I would not have made it.
From that point on I told myself and my kids that I was not going to have us in that situation ever again! During that time I made between 50,000-60,000$ a year working for an office of mental health. Thus I was very aware of what mental health issues were. I was diagnosed with depression from the environmental stressors. I ended up taking anxiety medication for roughly four to five years. I wanted to do anything necessary to be happy so that I could see my kids happy! Well, my story could fill tens and tens of pages, but here are just a couple…
After the incident with my husband I moved out of house. The kids were with me. We stayed with a friend until we found a place to move to. At the time I was working 60 plus hours a week, and was going to college part time for criminal justice . We finally found a nice place to live . While I finished college and worked I had an amazing friend who watched kids for me while my hours were very minimal with children . Which was very draining to be away from them that much but I was determined to graduate college after such terrible times! Still working …
Then graduated that following may 2012. With my family and children watch me walk down isle! Was such a proud moment !
Then my landlord decided to put house up for sale and new owners decided they weren’t going to rent . We were only there a year and had to move again! I had a new friend in my life at the time and he asked us if we wanted to rent from him. He had a whole house with yard and such and he offered to bring us in. Well. It was hard to decide to just move in with a man after years of struggle with kids dad but we decided to do it.
Kids had to move school again! The. While we were living there my friend had lost his job and I realized he had a opiate problems ! I was still working but going through family court with kids dad, and ended up fighting with this guy we lived with a lot about drug issue. During these times I had gotten jumped by my children’s dad an girlfriend while picking kids up one night and had to take many days off of work. My job that I held for 10 years decided it wasn’t working! I got let go… I cried for days and prayed for days and my kids were always upset about missing daddy and worried about mommy!
Then one day while employed I decided we were not going to be in the same situation we had been in. Following this decision of moving again near family in my hometown I ended up with my friend we lived with throwing me down stairs all messed up on heroine and I found needles in house! Called police , got him arrested. Kids finished school year and we jetted back to Owego! Where my family was ! We found a nice home to rent & then within a year the owners wife had died in a car accident I had transformed that home into a very beautiful place . Gardens yard was beautiful! And owner decided to put on market!!! Well once again we had to move .
During our stay at that home while on unemployment trying to find work I needed something to fill my void of helping others and became a volunteer firefighter, single mom!!!! My kids loved it! They get to see trucks and mommy in her gear ! Then I finally found work right before we moved ! Just picked up a job to get by because my associate degree won’t get much for what it is. The. We moved into this home we are in now. My parents have been letting me borrow a vehicle, which will no longer be available here soon. Then recently within past few weeks my job that I been working at for past 8 months let me go ! Job cuts! So again I find myself in a huge struggle! And I have been having problems with kids in school. With learning disability and my son with finding he has ADHD! Which I have ADD, runs in family but his is more extreme because his dad stopped seeing them almost 2 years now! So it’s a huge struggle! I am in despair of what I am going to do about a car! I have no finances to buy one ! My story is here to reach out to you to help me get a car for me and my 3 kids! For school activities, and doctor’s appointment, and my first responder stuff! I am a firefighter and drive ambulance . All voluntary! I need a car to be able to succeed in those areas and as well as finding more work! Please! Thank you and I pray everyday something will see my story and help us out! Thank you.
Nicole
Leave a Reply