It’s difficult to be writing something like this, but life doesn’t always unfold the way we expect.

As my readers know, when my daughter was born, my financial circumstances led to her father and I relinquishing her for adoption. Despite everyone’s best hopes, her life as an adoptee was not an easy one. She experienced instability and trauma that no child should have to face.

Just before her 17th birthday, she was sent to live with me and her father, and when she was 21, we were finally able to adopt her back into our family. Since then, she has been working so hard to build a stable life, heal from her past, and create something better for herself.

Now, she is expecting her first baby in April. She is excited, hopeful, and determined to be the kind of mother she always wished she had—and she is already doing everything she can to make that happen.

But she is also struggling.

Right now, she’s living in a motel that costs over $1,400 a month. Her job requires a lot of lifting, and she is constantly on her feet. She has been pushing herself through a difficult pregnancy just to keep up with the bills. Soon she’ll need to take maternity leave, and without paid leave or savings, she will have no income at all. She cannot move in with us due to strict rental restrictions, though we support her in every other way we can.

We’re trying to raise enough money to either purchase a small used mobile home with low lot rent, or to cover her first year of rent in her own apartment—just enough stability to give her and her baby a real start. A safe space. A home of their own.

To contribute as much as possible myself, I will also be selling items from my personal collections—books, toys, shoes, and household items—with every dollar going directly toward her housing costs (be on the lookout for that as soon as I’ve gotten everything organized for sale). But even with that, donations will still be essential to fully reach this goal and make stable housing possible for her and the baby.

I’m humbled to ask for help, but I’m doing it because I believe in her. She has fought through so much, and she is determined to break generational patterns and give her child a different beginning. Even the smallest donation would make a meaningful difference—truly. And if you can’t give, sharing this page helps more than you know.

Thank you for reading her story. Thank you for caring. And thank you for helping a young mother and her baby find safety, stability, and hope.

Donations are accepted directly to:

Venmo (preferred): @Jennifer-Wachowski
PayPal: @johnnywachowski
Cash App: $JennWachowski
Alternative ways to donate (check, money order, etc.), please reach out to musingsofabirthmom@gmail.com

With gratitude,

Jennifer Wachowski
“Astrid Beemom”
Musings of a Birthmom