Hello,

My name is Mary Carroll and I am sorry if the post is long but please read it all the way through as it will be well worth it and the person benefiting is well deserving.

About Us 

I am the fortunate mother of Isabel Carroll and AJ Carroll.  The beautiful picture is of her last year on her 16th birthday.  Pictures of her are rare because she has very high anxiety and is in the Autism Spectrum.  She doesnt like to have her pictures taken and we have learned to cherish the ones that we do have of her.  Isabel is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside.  And I do not just say this because I am her mother.  Anybody who knows her can testify of the same. 

Our Introduction to Autism Spectrum

I homeschooled my kids during some of their early school years.  When Isabel was in 4th grade and AJ was in 2nd grade, I was diagnosed with cervical cancer.  As any parent would, I immediately looked into public schooling for both and signed them up.  I went through my cancer treatment and recouperated and cancer went into remission.  

It is then that I noticed that although her brother, AJ, was flourishing in school, Isabel was struggling with social activities, understanding the teachers and just coping going to school in general.  I switched her from school to homeschool to school again.  Always ending back to homeschool. 

While attending 7th grade, she struggled once again to fit in socially and it was an incredible struggle to get her to school every day.  As I dropped her off at school one morning, late of course because we could never make it on time due to her anxiety, I asked God "what is going on God?"  and he clearly said to me "Aspergers".  I was taken back because I had never heard that word in my life and immediately started researching what was Aspergers, symptoms, treatment, etc. Everything seem to fit as to what was going on with Isabel. She was soon diagnosed being in the Autism Spectrum and suffering from high anxiety at the local Children's Hospital.  

Her Struggle with Schools and Then We Found IT!

So back to homeschool it was. The problem with homeschool was that she felt very isolated and by the end of 10th grade she begged me to put her back in school one more time.  We had exhausted our schools in our area and soon was invited by a friend of hers to shadow her for one day at a local private christian high school the next town over.  I thought, "what could it hurt?"  Feeling that it probably would be of no use and she would come home overwhelmed and realizing that homeschool was a safer choice for her, I didn't even give it another thought.  I could not have been further from the truth.  When she came home the day she shadowed her friend, she was a total different person.  She was full of hope and literally glowed from enthusiasm.  I had never seen her this hopeful about anything and this excited.  Excitement is not very common among people with ASD.

So we went through the application process, the interview, the acceptance exams and during every step I kept saying "God, if you want her there, please open the doors".  During each step, the doors remained open.  And she received her letter of acceptance in August of 2015 to attend Valor Christian High School as a Junior.  When she opened that letter you might as well have told her she had won the lottery because that is how excited she was.  We received a small scholarship at the time but soon was rescinded because of what happened next.  

Then Life Happened

While we were praying for Isabel to attend Valor, her father and I were separating and eventually go through the process of divorcing, which is currently in motion as I write this petition.  The chance of her attending Valor was so far from possible now that I could not even bring myself to break the news to Isabel.  All she would do is talk about envisioning herself walking down the halls of Valor and meeting new people and every day she mentioned how she could not wait to attend school.  It took all the effort I could muster to smile and not crush her dreams.  Her faith alone is the reason why she is attending Valor because I could not believe that big at the time.

At the insistence of a friend, I called the school and told them of the predicament that we now faced.  A starry eyed student who had so much hope and now facing the possibility of having to give her spot away.  They told me that they would discuss our situation among the members of the board and call me back with the outcome.  I was hopeful.  The veredict came back and although it wasnt a full scholarship for her to attend (I can only wish, right?) they suggested enrolling her as a part time student.  The only catch was that we had to give up the scholarship since I could not afford to enroll her as a full time student.  This was our only alternative until my divorce goes through and financial arrangements are determined by the courts as I am not receiving any financial help right now.  With blind faith I agreed to continue with the enrollment and I have not regreted making that decision for one moment. On the contrary, although it has been a struggle financially because I am still in the process of my divorce and I have not received any financial support, I cherish every day that she comes home and tells me how blessed she is to be there in that school.  She has made so many friends who love her and invite her to their social events and gatherings and was even involved in the school play and has built a strong bond with those students.  This is a new girl!!!

Our request for help

I work from home and I currently have 3 jobs but it is no match to the salary we were accustomed to have when her father lived with us.  Between bills and providing for the three of us, the tuition has become a greater burden than I can bear right now financially and will be even greater next semester where I have to enroll her full time and the tuition will be doubled.  While praying one morning and asking God for guidance, the word crowdfunding came to mind and this is the reason why I am here.  

It has taken me a few weeks to muster the courage to ask for help but the emails are starting to come in that I need to make payments for her tuition.  I am seeking of your generosity for the amount of $5,000 to complete this semester until my divorce goes through and financial income is established through the courts.  I know that as a lump sum it seems like alot but every $10 or $20 donation helps.  No amount is too small and we will be grateful for every donation that comes in, regardless of the amount.

If by any chance there is a generous soul that could help us with her scholarship for next semester, we will not turn it down as it would relieve me from such a financial burden and I could enjoy my kids without the burden of being worried about the finances.  

The Changes in Isabel's Life

We have gone through a lot as a family and this school has literally been a lifesaver for Isabel.  It has been a stability for her and a place for refuge.  Although she is a part time student right now and is only able to take half days, she stays in school all day to soak in the atmosphere and feel as if she is a full time student.  When she is not in the library working on her homework during her free time, you will see her helping out as a volunteer wherever the school needs her.  I have never seen her so grounded and so hopeful for life itself.

You will not be dissapointed in investing on this cause.  Isabel is deserving.  She is incredibly giving of her time and talents.  Isabel loves to give back to children. Last Christmas she had the idea to dress up as Anna from Frozen and coordinated a meet and greet in our home where the neighborhood could bring their kids and take pictures with Elsa and Anna while donating canned foods to the local food bank. We had over 100 people show up and collected over 140 lbs of food.   See the newspaper clipping below.

She finally feels like she fits in and not only that SHE fits in but that others accept her with open arms.  I would hate to see that go away just because of the circumstances that we face right now. 

We Request Your Help

We ask that if you can help us out, that you donate what you can as soon as you can.  If you cannot donate but know of any person who can, we ask that you pass our story along.  If you can do neither, we ask for your prayers and words of encouragement.  

We thank you for your generosity in advance and although our cause might not be as grave as the one with a person fighting for their lives due to cancer or some illness, I guarantee you that the impact of your generosity will be as great.  

Please, if you have any questions or would rather donate to the school directly under her name, please contact me and I will be happy to help you with that.  I do not want any excuse to come between your giving and her benefiting from your gift.  

Thank you and God bless you.  

Mary Carroll