A Mother’s Fight: Reclaiming Family Through Love and Resilience
Mother’s Day is often filled with flowers, brunches, and sweet cards from children to moms who’ve been there every step of the way. But there’s another kind of mother whose journey deserves to be celebrated. One marked not by picture-perfect moments, but by raw determination, painful sacrifices, and an unwavering commitment to reunite with her children.
At Time for Change Foundation, we walk alongside mothers who’ve been separated from their children due to circumstances like homelessness, addiction, incarceration, or systemic injustices. These are women who’ve been judged, counted out, and overlooked by society, yet they are also women who rise.
Women like Shawde. A woman whose journey reminds us that no matter how far we fall, there’s always a path back home.
Shawde’s life was shaped by trauma from an early age. She found herself in cycles of domestic violence and substance abuse, she found herself spiraling deeper into the shadows with every wrong turn. Caught in survival mode, Shawde found herself in a life where love was conditional, safety was scarce, and her children were eventually taken away.
In search of something different, she made a rushed decision to leave California for Arizona with a man who promised more than he gave. Instead of safety and support, she found herself pregnant and isolated. Eventually, the realization hit her—this wasn’t the life she wanted, and if she didn’t act now, she could lose everything, including the baby she was carrying.
Returning to San Bernardino with nowhere to go, Shawde bounced from motels to relatives’ homes, often hidden and unsupported. She felt invisible, like no one truly cared. But deep inside, the voice of a mother never stopped whispering: I want my babies back.
Her case was set to close permanently in a few weeks. A deadline that would sever her parental rights forever. Time was running out.
She called every number she could find until one led her to Time for Change Foundation. There, she laid everything on the table—the drugs, the abuse, the nights on the street, the consequences. She had hit rock bottom. Now, she was ready to climb. At Time for Change, Shawde found structure, accountability, and most importantly, belief in her own strength.
Looking toward the future, Shawde developed a new goal—to become a counselor for sex trafficking survivors, using her painful experiences to help others find their way forward. Her transformation from hopelessness to purpose happened in just two months of committed effort, proving that with proper support, change is possible at any point in the journey. Her court-appointed attorney didn’t even recognize her at their hearing—her transformation was that stark. Because of her hard work, her case remained open. She had another chance.
“Never give up” became her personal truth—a lesson she hopes to share with other mothers fighting similar battles. She learned that taking action, no matter how late it might seem, is better than surrendering to despair.
The story of motherhood is not one-size-fits-all. For some mothers, like Shawde, it includes chapters of separation, struggle, and the demanding work of reconstruction. It includes learning that the greatest act of love sometimes means completely rebuilding oneself for the sake of one’s children.
This Mother’s Day, we’re celebrating moms like Shawde, the ones who weren’t always seen or celebrated, but who never stopped fighting for their children. The ones who said, “No more,” and meant it. The ones who are growing, healing, and rising every single day.
To every mother on that journey: we see you, we stand with you, and we celebrate you. Not just on Mother’s Day, but every day that you choose to reclaim your power, your family, and your future.
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