04/04/2025
We met Amber in 2018. She had a nine-year-old son, was pregnant with twins and was in an abusive relationship. At first, she was reserved and closed off. She didn’t trust anyone. However, in time she began to open up and we got to see her soft heart. Amber loved deeply and gave generously of everything she had. She was beautiful, smart and her greatest desire was to be a good mom.
Amber was taking business administration courses and had employment opportunities lined up. Unfortunately, she kept having to drop her schooling due to her personal living circumstances. She took her three children and left her home to escape abuse. She spent several months living in a women’s shelter. Eventually she felt like she was ready to go out on her own. For a short time, she did well. But in a moment of desperation, she reconnected with her abuser. When asked why, she simply stated,
“I needed milk”
In the summer of 2020, Amber was in the midst of re-establishing a safe space for her and her children. She deeply desired to create stability in her children’s lives. When visiting her mentor’s (her Pregnancy Care Centre advocate) home, Amber looked around and said, “I want a house, just like yours.”
Amber never had the chance to give her children the home she longed to give them. She died the summer of 2020.
There is a lot of confusion about what happened in her final days. All we know for certain, is that our current systems were not enough.
It is too late for us to provide safe housing for Amber and her family, but today we have the opportunity to provide for other women and their child(ren) who need a safe and supportive home.
