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However, Aya’s story changed after graduation. Adulthood brought new challenges, some of which seemed designed to break down Aya’s self-worth and stability. “I gave birth to a daughter, but the doctor at the hospital...actually gave her to another family. The breakdown of who I wanted to be and who I had now become - because of the sadness- played out…because after my daughter went missing, I didn't want to live anymore.”

Amazingly, Aya made it through this difficult time, struggling to maintain her mental health and still push on in her education. Moving from place to place, over the next ten years, Aya had 3 more children. She continued to search and hope and pray but, even today, Aya still hasn’t located her eldest daughter. “Still looking for my older daughter…” Aya sadly reveals, “…she's now 24 wherever she is, but I always felt like if she were going to look for me, she wouldn't know where to go.” So Aya began looking for a bridge…something, some place to make her feel like she had a home.

Aya’s search for a stable home continued as she faced new challenges. She became the caregiver for her own autistic child. She suffered a devastating brain injury and endured life-threatening surgery in 2019. And her illnesses caused by mold festering in her inadequate housing left her fighting a constant state of discomfort and fear. Yet, Aya refused to give up. Ultimately, she came to Bridges to Housing Stability seeking help because her family was facing homelessness.

"As soon as I called, it was… it was almost like they were waiting for my call. I was handled as if [there] was a spot just for me.”