Please consider donating and/or sharing this fundraiser to help support Valerie Simms and her family as they welcome three additional children into their family due to the unexpected passing of their mother, Stephanie, on July 17, 2024. Stephanie and Valerie were not only cousins but best friends. Stephanie's death was extremely shocking -- not only was she a single mother to 4 children, but she was also attending college and took in her adult sister with a disability. The cause of her death is unknown at this time. Just one week before her death, she had delivered a healthy baby boy by C-section and was anxious to get home and be with her family. Tragically, three of Stephanie's children -- Terrance (12), Omari (6) and Jovoni (1 week) -- were immediately placed in foster care in Chicago. Within one day of their mother's passing, their apartment was broken into and many of their valuables were stolen; leaving Stephanie's children with little to bring with them. Valerie is working with the Department of Children and Families in Illinois to obtain custody and coordinate moving the children from Chicago to her home in Menomonie, WI. Valerie and her fiance Verlin live with their 3-year-old daughter Victoria in a 2-bedroom apartment. Valerie and her family will need to find a larger home and a larger vehicle to accommodate their new family members. In addition, Valerie will need to resign from her full-time job so that she can provide the level of care and support these children need as they adjust to their new reality. Any amount of money donated would be used to assist with getting the children from Chicago to Menomonie and ensuring their basic needs are met (clothes, toiletries, furniture, food, etc.). Thank you! Ashley Mielnik, Friend of the Family
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