Support for Michelle

Our parents have spent close to 40 years together, married for 38 of those years. Michelle was born and raised in Nassau, Bahamas and came to the United States when she was just 19 years old. She came to Detroit, Michigan to be near her father. Shortly after her move, she met John. The majority of her 40-year-old relationship has centered around our dad’s family, his culture and geographical roots, and supporting his rhythm of life.

Her life changed in an instant this past December when our dad violently attacked our mom after she made a comment he didn’t like. He physically assaulted her by putting his hands around her neck, choking her as he shouted, “You’ll never speak to me like that again!” She was able to free herself, but as she tried to get away, he attacked her from behind and continued to choke her, until finally throwing her into a kitchen counter. She was able to run and get to safety. We are so thankful she’s still here.

Since the night of December 28th, our mom’s life has been fully upended. She has been completely traumatized, afraid, unsafe, and yet has bravely chosen to not become another statistic of repeat domestic violence or death. She left her home that night and has been displaced ever since. She had no choice but to leave her place of employment, exchanging financial stability for safety. She left personal belongings, close personal friendships, and lifelong passions, to pursue freedom over familiarity.

In the four and a half months since this senseless attack, our mom’s entire life -and the only framework our whole family has ever known - has been destroyed. We’ve learned that for the better part of 40 years, our dad has been an addict; refusing rehabilitation treatment options. We tolerated years of mental, emotional, and verbal abuse, because that was our “normal”. There have been decades of financial struggles due, in part, to his untreated addictions. All the years of substance abuse, lies, hypocrisy, secrets, and double-living, consequently and horrifyingly resulted in John assaulting Michelle.

What matters most is our mom is alive and safe. She’s living in an undisclosed location where she is actively attempting to grieve, heal, and move forward in healthy ways. She has been meeting with a therapist and has been able to spend time in nature (her favorite activity) to ground herself. She has a big move planned but we need help to get her on her feet! Moving to a new city is difficult as it is, but starting a new life can feel insurmountable. Many expenses come with relocating and we hope that by getting them covered, Mom can focus on healing and finding a stable income to support her flourishing.

Here is an itemized list of what your donations will be supporting:

Flight to an undisclosed location: $400

Transporting vehicle: $2500

Licensing, plates, and car insurance: $250

3 months of support to pay current and upcoming expenses while job hunting and acclimating to a new city: $6,250

Weekly therapy for 3 months: $400

Our mom is incredible. She has always been a tough fighter and we couldn’t be more proud and thankful to have her as Mom. She is worthy of a life that allows her to be soft; a life in which she can discover who she truly is without fear of gaslighting, manipulation, and abuse. To know Michelle is to love her. She always shows up for others with a listening ear, an encouraging word and always food- the BEST food. We know so many of you reading this have also been on the receiving end of her love and care. Please consider supporting Mom as we attempt to show her in this tangible way how loved she truly is.

Sincerely,

Jay Albright & Nicole (Coley) Peterson

A note from Michelle:

"Thank you for considering donating. I truly never thought I'd be in this position. I'm humbled and overwhelmed at the thought of anyone choosing to help support me on my journey toward healing. You have no idea what this means to me. Thank you in advance."