Stacie’s Story: After the Storm, We Just Need to Breathe

Player Stories Aug 13, 2025

“We’ve been in fight-or-flight mode for over a year. I just want my family to breathe again—even for a few days.”

For Stacie, a mother of three from Central Florida, life changed in an instant. A year ago, both of her daughters—just 17 and 21 at the time—were hit by a pickup truck that ran a red light. One was rushed by ambulance. The other was airlifted to a trauma center.

"I had to choose which hospital to go to first," she said through tears. "One daughter needed me emotionally. The other was fighting to survive. No mother should ever have to make that choice."

Her youngest daughter had to relearn how to walk, while her eldest daughter—though able to walk—suffered spinal injuries, whiplash, and head trauma. Stacie spent three months living away from home, bedside at her youngest daughter’s recovery. Meanwhile, her husband—injured at work just a month earlier—was driving hours with a crushed knee to be with their eldest daughter. There was no financial compensation. No justice. Just pain, strength, and survival.

“We’ve never taken a real vacation. Not once.”

Despite being a family of five, Stacie and her husband have never had the means to travel beyond a weekend trip to the beach or Orlando. With theme parks too expensive and work always calling, family getaways were always out of reach.

“There’s this place in Georgia, St. Simons Island,” she shared. “We went once for a cheer competition—me and the girls. It felt like something out of a Hallmark movie. Dolphins at sunrise, charming shops, mossy oak trees… but my husband and son weren’t with us. I’ve always dreamed of taking them back, just once, to all be together in peace.”

She entered our Mother’s Day Wishlist Giveaway asking simply for help to make that trip happen. Not something fancy—just a clean hotel, a few days without stress, and time to heal as a family.

“I found Solitaire Clash during the hardest time of my life.”

It was during her daughter’s recovery, while staying at her parents’ house, that Stacie first downloaded Solitaire Clash.

“I was sitting on the porch one night just scrolling and I thought, is this game even real? I downloaded it and before I knew it, I had played for three hours straight.”

She laughed, adding, “I feel like my mother-in-law, who loved Solitaire and passed from COVID, sent it to me. I just needed something to help me unwind.”

Since then, Solitaire Clash has become her go-to escape. “I play every day—honestly, every night. It’s bright, fun, and relaxing. And your Mother’s Day live event? I loved every second. You made me feel seen.”

“Helping others is what I do. But this time, I just wanted someone to help me.”

For the past 10 years, Stacie has run a local group in her community called Stand Up to Stand Out, helping families in need. “We’re not a nonprofit. We just bless people every day.”

She’s spent decades caring for others. Now, finally, we’re honored to give something back.

When we told Stacie during her interview that she was one of our winners, she burst into tears. “Wait. Wait. I’ve already won? My gosh... I can’t believe this is happening.”

And as her daughter walked into the room—now healed, now glowing—Stacie smiled through the emotion.