This is Grace's story.
Get your tissues.
This woman is BRAVE!!!
Location: Garden Grove, CA
"I would like to nominate a true GEM of a Momma. This gal is a single momma of four resilient kiddos who all have escaped a lifetime of watching their mom being abused and or being abused themselves. Her oldest is a freshman in high school and she has 3 little boys. Her youngest suffers from a rare genetic disease called:
Tuberous sclerosis--also called tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC)1--is a rare, multi-system genetic disease that causes benign tumors to grow in the brain and on other vital organs such as the kidneys, heart, eyes, lungs, and skin. It usually affects the central nervous system and results in a combination of symptoms including seizures, developmental delay, behavioral problems, skin abnormalities, and kidney disease.
It is just an awful sentence for her sweet Rocky boy.
I actually went to high school with her and we reconnected over a blog she ran several years ago. I just loved all the things she had to say and all the positive energy she would put into the universe. Shortly after connecting the dots she started a handmade business making adorable moccasins to support her family. Lucky for me I just found out I was pregnant and was thrilled to support her and my little girls fashion! I followed her adventures and was devastated when one day her and her family vanished. From recent posts I just had the biggest pit in my stomach as I was terrified her safety. Months went by with no contact and then out of nowhere she appeared beaten and broken. Luckily her man messed up in public and the light at the end of the tunnel began to shine for her. It was no walk in the park, she and her children literally escaped with the clothes on there backs and nothing else. No clothed, food, money, car and her babies medication was left behind as well. As time went on she would begin to find herself again and start to rebuild, with each step forward life would drag her 50 steps backwards. The worst for me was when she went to use the money she received for her baby with needs her husband had taken the money and she had no way to pay for his medication. Her sweet boy suffers from daily multiple seizers and needs so much medical help. This monster was stealing all of this childs help !!! Seriously who does this??
This sweet mom had hustled from the beginning of her freedom. At one point she had 3, THREE jobs to make ends meet! One of her jobs was a night job cleaning a parking lot up after-hours in a not so great of town, but as a mom she did what she had to and was thankful to be doing it. She went on to get an apartment of her own for her and her kiddos and has not stopped hustling since. Besides giving life all its got I love that she has taken back one of her pride and joys and is starting up a new moccasin company. You see, this man stole her domain, her patents and her entire community of customers and destroyed it. I am beyond proud of what she is doing to prove to her children that they are now safe, loved and she will do all the things to provide for them. They live a life with zero luxuries. They could not afford new school clothes, school supplies or even halloween costumes. I can not imagine what burden she is feeling this Holiday season as she can not give her children a Christmas they deserve. Her older daughter deserves so much as she has saved her mother life and has stood by her side as a solid rock. Her sweet boys don't ask for much as they no the answer will always be no. They don't complain when their mom is gone all day hustling so they can have a safe place to call home. I would love to rock their world this season and show them that the world is not evil like the once knew, that people are not monsters and that the world loves to give and encourage each and every one of us.
ALSO! The other most amazing thing about her is she had helped around 75 other victims of domestic violence escape. She has called ubers for people, put people up in hotels, and given resources so that they no longer have to live like she did ! I mean seriously instead of focusing on her healing she is helping the world one person at a time.
Please read her blog www.shegotbrave.com as it only has a few entries and gives the full details of what happened to her as it is all too much for me to pit into words and she does an amazing job of telling her story. If she isn't a candidate maybe you can lead people to her mock business on IG called @anchoredsoleco"
This is a post taken directly from Grace's blog:
"When I was 8 months pregnant with Rocky, I locked myself in the bathroom to take a bath. I was upset over mean customers that had hurt my feelings at the time, and remember locking the door so that Franky wouldn't walk in and see me crying. A few minutes into my emotional break, my husband tried the handle to open the door. I called out to him that I would be out in just a minute and that I was having a bad day. He yelled, "You have no idea what a bad day is unless you don't unlock this door!" I told him I'd be right out, and he started cussing and calling me names. As he screamed at me, he suddenly broke through the bathroom door; sending pieces of wood and door jam in every direction. (Picture the Kool Aid man going through a wall, only not funny.) He grabbed a huge piece of wood and held it above his head and yelled, "You have 20 seconds to clean every single piece of dust in this room or this (motioning the wood in his hands) is going to go across your face!" I frantically climbed out of the tub and used my awaiting towel to scoop wood and debris into a pile. "ONE... TWO... THREE... FOUR..." and so on until he got to twenty. I did not clean up the broken door in time.
When I moved in with my parents last month, my stepmom told me to take a bath and have a glass of wine. I went upstairs and drew a bath, and stared at it until it was no longer warm enough to sit in. I pretended that I had relaxed, and left the bathroom wrapped in a towel- tears from that memory still falling from my eyes.
A few nights later, I decided that more than two years was far too long to go without a relaxing bath, and forced myself into the tub. I stared at the door the entire time.
Each time I attempt an unwinding bath, I make progress. It's so unfair that someone can take a normal activity and make you fear it.
Tonight I share a little more of my story from the tub. And this time, I'm not crying. And I haven't looked at the door once."
When I moved in with my parents last month, my stepmom told me to take a bath and have a glass of wine. I went upstairs and drew a bath, and stared at it until it was no longer warm enough to sit in. I pretended that I had relaxed, and left the bathroom wrapped in a towel- tears from that memory still falling from my eyes.
A few nights later, I decided that more than two years was far too long to go without a relaxing bath, and forced myself into the tub. I stared at the door the entire time.
Each time I attempt an unwinding bath, I make progress. It's so unfair that someone can take a normal activity and make you fear it.
Tonight I share a little more of my story from the tub. And this time, I'm not crying. And I haven't looked at the door once."
********************************************************************
What an incredibly brave mama! Let's help her have a Christmas to remember this year for her 4 children and their brand new life!
WAYS TO HELP:
You can purchase items from their Amazon wishlist's and have them sent directly to Grace:
Family Wish list HERE
Taylor's Wish list HERE
Warner's Wish list HERE
Franky's Wish list HERE
Rocky's Wish List HERE (chosen by the kids collectively)
OTHER WAYS TO HELP:
Grace has a new business where she sells adorable handmade moccasins. You can find her on Instagram at @shegotbrave and her business at @anchoredsoleco to purchase from her and support her small business.
If you would like to send letters of encouragement, gift cards, etc. please email me at JBHolidayPIF@gmail.com with the subject GRACE127.
