Help Team Cayden get to safety!

Help Our Autistic Son Build a Safer Future ❤️

Our 11-year-old son is autistic — and he is an artist.

He has been painting since he was two years old.

He doesn't really draw.

He paints.

Creating has always been one of the most natural ways for him to express himself, and watching that little boy grow into the young artist he is today has been one of the greatest joys of our lives.

But right now, our biggest concern isn't his art.

It's his future.

Why We're Leaving South Africa

We are a family of three living in South Africa.

We are Afrikaners, and South Africa is our home. Leaving the country where our family has lived and built its life is not something we ever imagined doing.

But over the years, we have watched the country change in ways that have increasingly concerned us. South Africa continues to struggle with extremely high levels of violent crime. Home invasions, robbery, murder and personal safety are realities that families have to think about every day.

At the same time, the political and social climate has become increasingly divided along racial and identity lines.

As Afrikaners, we have become increasingly uncomfortable with the direction that tension is taking and concerned about what it could mean for our son's future.

We don't want him growing up in an environment where fear, crime and racial tension are simply accepted as part of everyday life.

We don't want to wait until something happens to our family before deciding that we should have left.

We want to make that decision while we still have the opportunity to do it on our own terms.

This isn't about hating South Africa.

It's about loving our son enough to ask ourselves:

“Is this where we want him to grow up?”

For us, the answer has become increasingly clear.

We are working toward relocating our family to the United States, where we hope to build a safer, more stable future and give our son the opportunity to grow up with greater possibilities.

We're Not Asking Someone to Build Our Life

We want to work.

We want to contribute.

We want to build our own home and our own future.

We aren't looking for a free ride or a luxurious new life.

But moving an entire family across the world is an enormous undertaking, and getting from where we are today to where we hope to be requires a financial bridge.

That's where we're asking for help.

Our goal is to raise enough to help keep our family stable during the next six months of preparation in South Africa, cover the costs of the move itself, and give us some breathing room as we establish ourselves in the United States.

That means things like:

Preparing for and completing the move

International travel and relocation expenses

Temporary accommodation

Transportation

Rental and utility deposits

Healthcare and insurance

Basic household necessities

We're not asking you to give us a new life.

We're asking for help getting our family to a place where we can build one.

Help Us Get There ❤️

Asking strangers for help is not something we ever imagined doing.

But sometimes you have to put your pride aside and say:

“We can do the work. We just need a little help getting there.”

Every donation, no matter the size, brings us one step closer.

And if you can't donate, sharing our story could be just as valuable.

Because somewhere out there may be someone who understands what it means to make a difficult decision for their child.

Someone who understands starting over.

Or simply someone who believes that an autistic little boy with a paintbrush deserves the chance to grow up somewhere he can feel safe and build his future.

Thank you for taking the time to hear our story.

From our family to yours,

thank you. ❤️