NJ-2025-0061: FAMILY BACKGROUND: 37-year-old single mother of four has endured an extraordinarily difficult year filled with loss, injury, and life-changing medical news.

FAMILY BACKGROUND: 37-year-old single mother of four has endured an extraordinarily difficult year filled with loss, injury, and life-changing medical news. Early in the year, she lost her grandmother in February, a painful emotional blow during an already stressful time. Shortly after, she was involved in a severe car accident that left her without transportation for most of the summer. The injuries from the crash made daily responsibilities extremely difficult and added new layers of hardship for her family.

On October 6, she received a devastating diagnosis: breast cancer. What was first thought to be stage 1 escalated to stage 2 after further testing. She now faces surgery tentatively scheduled for December 11. With no childcare available for her 3-year-old son, she has relied heavily on her 17-year-old daughter to help care for him and make sure her 6-year-old daughter, who is autistic, gets on and off the school bus safely. She feels guilty and overwhelmed that her oldest child has had to shoulder so much responsibility.

Her identical twin sister, who is also a single mother of four and recently lost her job, has been the only adult support she has. Her sister has paused her plans to start a small business so she can drive her to appointments and help her navigate this frightening and painful season of life.

Despite everything, she continues to fight for stability and tries to create as much normalcy as possible for her children. Providing Christmas this year feels nearly impossible, but she holds onto hope and faith that support may help bring her children joy in the middle of immense struggle.

CITY: Toms River
COUNTY: Ocean County
HOUSEHOLD SIZE: 6

HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD:
Age: 37
Sex: Female
Clothing Size: Women's 2
Shoe Size: 8
Wishlist:

CHILD #1:
Age: 17
Sex: Female
Clothing Size: 5
Shoe Size: 7
Wishlist: MOD Vanilla perfume, oversized leopard hoodie, UGG cozy slippers (cream, size 7), plus SHEIN, Ulta, Visa, or Amazon gift cards.

CHILD #2:
Age: 13
Sex: Male
Clothing Size: 14
Shoe Size: 7
Wishlist: E-bike, fishing gear, full-size black comforter, and a Jordan/Nike jacket in size 14.

CHILD #3:
Age: 6
Sex: Female
Clothing Size: 6
Shoe Size: 11
Wishlist: Sensory toys, dolls, learning toys

CHILD #4:
Age: 3
Sex: Male
Clothing Size: 4T
Shoe Size: 9
Wishlist: Cars, learning toys, trucks