“A few years ago, a family photo unexpectedly resurfaced a deeply painful memory from my early childhood—something I had long suppressed. It was a reminder of a traumatic experience that changed the course of my life.

In that moment, I knew I needed support. I reached out to my dear friend of over 25 years, WEAVE CEO Beth Hassett, who encouraged me to connect with a trauma-informed therapist. I began counseling at WEAVE, and for nearly a year, I worked with an incredible therapist who helped me heal and reclaim my voice.

Therapy also gave me the strength to make difficult, but necessary, decisions about my personal relationships—particularly with loved ones who couldn’t accept or support my truth. Through it all, I had the unwavering support of my late husband and my beloved father.

When my husband and I created our trust, we knew we wanted to give back in a way that would truly help others. We chose to include a legacy gift to WEAVE, specifically to support adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. We understood how often these experiences go unspoken—especially in communities of color, where stigma and denial are far too common. As a Latina, I know this pain personally.

This legacy gift is our way of ensuring that more women can access the compassionate, professional help they need to heal. Since starting my own healing journey, I’ve learned that several close friends have experienced similar trauma, but I’ve been the only one to receive therapy. That reality weighs heavily on me.

My hope is that more survivors find the courage and support to begin their healing. Choosing therapy was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, and I will be forever grateful to Beth and the WEAVE team for walking with me through that process. That is why I decided to include WEAVE in my estate plans—so that others can access the same life-changing support when they need it most.”