Help Terri Come Home

Greetings! I am honored to be fundraising for my good friend and colleague, Terri. I have known Terri since she was in middle school and know her to be a person of strength, empathy and kindness with a special place in her heart for animals and children. Please read her story and consider a donation to help her stay in her home.

Terri is a young widow who lives with the heartbreak of losing the people she loves the most.

As a Deaf individual with a physical disability, Terri struggled to find permanent, full-time, fulfilling work for many years. Although she completed her library technician certificate at Red River College in Winnipeg, as a Deaf individual, she frequently encountered audism (discrimination toward people with hearing loss) when applying for jobs in her field of study. As a result, Terri was forced to accept lower paying jobs with unreliable hours.

In 2003, married her best friend, Bryan. They purchased a modest home in Winnipeg, where they hoped to raise a family. They were a happy couple who worked hard, supported one another and looked forward to making memories for many years.

However, in 2005, Terri’s life took a devastating turn with the loss of their infant daughter, Tyla. The years that followed were hard on Terri and Bryan but they supported one another as they mourned the tragic loss of their daughter. Incredibly, a few years later Bryan was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and passed away just days before his 38th birthday in 2008.

Terri has been on a courageous journey since this heart-breaking time in her life as she learns to live with the ever-present pain of overwhelming loss. While learning to live with unimaginable heart-break, Terri has developed deep empathy and finds joy in helping others in need. Terri inspires others as she faces each day with courage and the resolve to find joy, peace and meaning in her life.

Terri recently secured full time employment in a job that fuels her passion and her unique skill set as a Deaf individual. The new job opportunity required her to move back to her hometown of Brandon, Manitoba in August 2023.

Terri is currently residing in her mother's home, who passed away in March 2023, to cancer. Terri wishes to purchase her mother’s home as it holds many memories, honors her mother’s wish to keep the home in the family and provides a place of comfort for Terri and her ‘fur family’. The situation is complex, as the house needs to be sold in order to pay off her mother’s debts. Terri's previous employment lacked the financial stability to satisfy the mortgage broker's requirements.

Creditors are pressuring the family to sell the house and Terri needs financial support in order to provide the down payment required to purchase the family home, where not only she, but her extended family can benefit for years to come.

Terri, her rescue dog ‘Faith’ and cat ‘Gracie’, will have extreme difficulty finding another home that meets their needs in Brandon if she is unable to purchase her family home. Most rentals are not pet friendly, and having a yard for Faith is of great importance to Terri.

At this juncture in her life, Terri needs the comfort and stability of her family home with good neighbors who watch out for her and assist when she needs help. She needs to be able to stay in the community where she is supported, has meaningful employment and can give back to her community through her work.

Please help Terri to stay in her home. Her gratitude is immeasurable.