She found herself in a difficult position and couldn't find the support she needed, so she created it and in doing so, began helping women around the world. She's this week's KRLD Difference Maker.
When Nelly Cuenca had her son, she never imagined she'd have to do raise him alone.
Her husband had bipolar disorder and has stopped taking his medications.
“Fast forward to present, I filed for divorce. He game me full custody of my son. So here I was with a 7-month-old little boy and full custody and no child support,” Nelly said. “I was looking for resources for myself and my son.”
But when Nelly couldn't find what she was looking for, she created it.
“I created MaaPaa. So MaaPaa is basically mama and papa and we play dual role. MaaPaa.org is an organization that focuses on moms who are raising boys without a father figure,” Nelly said. “You have to be mentally prepared to take on this challenge.”
The women who are a part of MaaPaa each have unique stories.
“We have moms that are military moms and lost their spouses due to PTSD and suicide or because of being overseas and at war. We also have moms who have lost their husbands due to incarceration, like life in prison. Or we have moms that have lost their spouses due to immigration,” Nelly said.
Now she's brought women all over the world together for the much needed support they need. She says one of the biggest components when it comes to mental health for these women is just simply having a listening ear and knowing that they are not alone.
We're proud to call Nelly Cuenca and MaaPaa.org this week's KRLD Difference Makers.
To find out more or volunteer, reach out to Nelly Cuenca.
If you know someone making a difference in the community, send us an email at differencemaker@krld.com.
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