Sarah and Anne lived alone in a small apartment outside Baltimore, where Anne worked two jobs to cover their $1,450 monthly rent. She cleaned offices at night and served breakfast at a neighborhood diner each morning, earning barely enough for groceries, utilities, and Sarah’s school supplies. Anne had no savings, and her medical insurance had ended three months earlier when one employer reduced her hours. Sarah’s favorite doll, Luna, had been stitched from faded blue fabric because Anne could not afford a birthday gift that year. To Sarah, the doll was priceless—and offering it was the only way she knew to help.
