LIMA — Aaliyah White has endured some of life’s harshest turns and continues to deal with many of them every single day. But none of the setbacks White has experienced over the past three-plus years define who she is. She simply won’t allow it.
What she is, for the record, is a single mother of two who lost her first child nearly four years ago when she experienced problems during her pregnancy. The premature infant, Se’Kani, lived for an hour and passed away while surgery was being performed to save his mother’s life.
White is also a young woman who’s working hard to make ends meet on a 15-hour-a-week job, but is forced to serve her two young sons “milk slushies” because her refrigerator is missing a door and a freezer is her only other option.
She’s a mom who recently learned her 2-year-old has been diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum, requiring multiple trips monthly to Toledo for additional testing.
But it’s White’s own words which perhaps best sum up what it is that makes her tick.
“I’m a strong, 26-year-old Black single mother who needs some help. A lot of people are embarrassed about their situation in life, but I’m not ashamed. Being a single mom is a hard job,” she said.
While The Lima News typically uses pseudonyms for persons profiled in its Adopt-A-Stocking series, White requested her real name be used.
“I’d like some of the young women in my circle to know that if I can do it, they can too,” she said. “I just want to tell them, ‘Don’t sit in silence and cry. Reach out for help.’”
Don’t think for a moment that White has wrapped herself in some type of false bravado to hide her pain. She’ll admit without hesitation that her life is difficult right now.
“I sacrifice for myself to keep my kids happy,” she said. “It takes a toll on me and I try not to show it. But when you never get a chance to grieve … when you’ve just got to keep on going … it’s hard.”
The smile on White’s face grew when she learned she’d been selected for the Adopt-A-Stocking series, the same way she is grateful for the Salvation Army coat giveaway and its annual Christmas basket gift program. Her oldest son received no gifts for Christmas last year and White hopes to make this holiday season a little more merry for her children.
Community members can help make that a certainty.
Se’kyleon loves building blocks, Legos and cars, his mother said. He wears size 4T shirts and pants and size 10C shoes. “He’s into PJ Masks and Go Dog Go, but Paw Patrol is his favorite,” White said.
His seven-month-old brother, Syion, wears size 6-9 month outfits and size 4C shoes and “he’s all into Cocomelon and loves things that light up and make his day brighter.”
As for herself, White said what she needs most are things money can’t buy.
“Support. Encouraging words. Emotional things … like prayer warriors,” she said.
A refrigerator would certainly be nice, she admits, and maybe some gas cards to help defray the cost of frequent trips to Toledo for her son’s medical condition. She’s a size medium when it comes to clothing, but prefers to think first about her sons’ needs.
Any help from the community, she said, would be greatly appreciated.
“You don’t know how grateful we are for this opportunity,” White said of being selected as an Adopt-A-Stocking participant. “To me, stuff like this only happens in the movies! We truly appreciate it and will do nothing but good with any donations we might receive.
“It’s all about giving back, and I hope that I will be able to give back someday.”
The Adopt a Stocking Fund benefits families during the holiday season. Monetary donations can be given online at give.salvationarmy.org/stocking or via Adopt A Stocking; c/o The Salvation Army; P.O. Box 234, Lima, OH 45801. All material donations for a specific family should be dropped off at the Salvation Army, 614 E. Market St., Lima, and should include a copy of the article or the date the story appeared in The Lima News. See past stories at LimaOhio.com/tag/stocking.
