Osayamen stood in front of the room, holding her boys Zenai and Zaire close to her on either side. More than 100 people filled the seats at A Night to Reignite fundraiser in Ocala. Despite the nervousness she felt inside, she steadily told her story.
“I am a single mom of two amazing boys. I’ve been in Florida for a couple of years. I’m a graphic designer here. I love it. I will never leave Florida. In June, I got really sick, and I needed emergency surgery.”
However, Osayamen had no one she could call to take the boys. Her mom lived out of town.
Thanks to our partnership, AdventHealth was able to connect her to Better Together. We called on volunteer Danielle Marciano, who immediately responded. Osayamen still wasn’t sure. She was ready to leave the hospital.
“My little guy here, he drove me (to accept help). He said, ‘Mom, if you don’t have this procedure, you won’t make it.’”
Danielle offered to sit with the boys in the waiting room until Grandma arrived. They sent reassuring photos and text messages to mom throughout.
“I owe Better Together a lot,” Osayamen said, “because I might not be here, and it’s so hard to ask for help.”
Osayamen didn’t tell her story alone. Danielle stood by her side and continues to be a part of her community.
We’re grateful Osayamen chose to trust Better Together and begin building with us that proverbial village it takes to raise a child.
We are also thankful for the 107 souls who joined us Wednesday for A Night to Reignite at the Appleton Museum of Art in Ocala. Through sponsorships, tickets, a silent auction, and a live auction, their generosity raised $53,190 to directly help families through Better Together.
Over the coming weeks, we will share more stories—impactful accounts families have shared with us in recent weeks. Their moments were displayed on an art wall at the event, and donors were encouraged to add their mark in Better Together colors. Their words and images will be shared in our blog each week. We are so grateful for their bravery.
A special thank you to our event sponsors for making the evening possible: AdventHealth Ocala, Truist, Encompass Health, Seacoast Bank, Biztech, Marion County Children’s Alliance, Inc., Automax Ocala, Duke Energy, Walden Direct Primary Care, Always A Sweep Chimney and Dryer Vent Service, LLC, and Penn Flooring.
Moments by Kinfay / Better Together
