Finding Light: My Latest Update on Healing, Home, and Hope

Recent Update - A Journey of Resilience

As we celebrated the 4th of July, a day of reflection on independence and perseverance, I wanted to share some important updates from my life's journey.

A Journey Through Loss and Relocation

We're in a new house rental now, having moved in on Sunday, May 25th. We're slowly settling in, and I completed emptying the house on Ann Street by June 1st. Thank you for your ongoing prayers and support as my family and I embark on this new season and chapter.

Leaving the house where my son Joshua last lived, and where our family once shared so many memories, was extremely difficult and challenging. However, I know that closing this door and entering a new home signifies another level of healing, freedom, and a fresh start. I truly believe the heartbreak and pain will ultimately, in its time, all be worth it.

Rebuilding One Stone, One Brick at a Time…

Many of you who have been following our journey know that as I confronted the three-year anniversary of losing my son Joshua this February, I began the difficult but necessary process of re-opening his case and delving into my own investigation. While it's been a painful journey, I now have a clearer head and a sense of peace that allows me to piece together what was missed; previously, it was all a fog.

Beyond the enduring impact of Joshua's loss, I've been reflecting on the entirety of our family's journey. The past few years have presented significant challenges, particularly when we received the news—on the very anniversary of Joshua's accident—that our rental home was being sold. This gave us less than three months to find a new place. Consequently, I had to put my investigation on hold again, prioritizing our urgent need to relocate.

I was truly unprepared for what lay ahead as we packed up our lives on Ann Street. The final days were the most difficult, made even harder by facing Joshua’s last project: organizing and clearing out the garage. It was a space I hadn't been able to enter or continue his work in since his accident. Sadly, after all these years, a different kind of "flood" arrived—a spiritual natural disaster that festered and destroyed 26 years' worth of our family's stored belongings. This meant 95% of our keepsakes and memories in boxes ultimately had to be literally dumped. It felt like one last ruin of what remained in that house on Ann Street, adding yet another layer to the series of tragedies, disasters, and traumas our family has endured.

Hope and the Path Forward

Yet, through it all, I remain hopeful and committed to building a better future for my remaining children and myself. In honor of Joshua’s memory and the dreams we shared, I have been working tirelessly on rebuilding my small business, Budget Genealogy. I believe that with the right support, I can create a stable environment for my family, continue to heal, and where there is no clear path, create one to press onwards.

If you're looking for a way to make a difference, I would love to share more about how your contributions can directly impact our path forward. Your kindness could help me invest in essential tools and resources that would make a real difference in our lives.

We've been incredibly fortunate to receive $1,780 in generous donations so far! It's because of supporters like you that I've been able to move forward with this important work. Your contributions have directly covered essential resources such as Ancestry.com and Newspapers.com subscriptions, for membership fee(s) for local genealogy societies, allowed for social media marketing, and funded mileage and travel for onsite research at the National Archives in Chicago. Most importantly, these donations have given me the crucial time and energy to focus on my case hours while also meeting my household's essential needs.

While there's still a long way to go, I'm truly grateful for all the support I've received. A portion of these funds have come through GoFundMe, and many of you have been sending financial support directly through Zelle and other avenues. If you prefer to use Zelle, you can send funds to 331-442-5546, or via CashApp to $MarcyBaezLopez. Please feel free to DM me for other payment options.

Back in March, we were also incredibly blessed with an all-expenses-paid trip to Arizona in Joshua's honor. And after three years, we've finally been able to empty his storage unit. We're so grateful for all the ways family, friends, and even strangers continue to invest in and bless us through this journey.

Thank you for considering donating. If you're interested in learning more, please feel free to reach out!

Support Our Journey

You can find our GoFundMe here: https://gofund.me/b2816264

Thank you for sharing this journey with me and my family. Whether it's through hands-on support, prayer, encouragement, financial means, or even becoming one of my business clients, all contributions empower a bereaved single mother holding onto an unforeseen future full of promise and great opportunity.