A local woman is at risk of losing her home and two children after being the victim of a confrontation in Salisbury, Maryland in June. Now, she’s asking the public for help.
Kelly McGrath’s life changed in the blink of an eye when a male suspect held Salisbury Police, the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office and the Maryland State Police in a nine-hour standoff on Tuesday, June 18.
Emergency services first arrived at about 3:30 a.m. to the 100 block of Cedar Way in Salisbury for a report of a domestic assault in which the suspect had barricaded himself in the home and stabbed someone, according to police.
The confrontation ended around 1 p.m. The suspect, identified as Matthew William Gruber, was taken to TidalHealth for what police later reported as self-inflicted injuries.
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‘I can’t sleep anymore’: Woman tells of horror of Salisbury confrontation
“He was my fiancé,” McGrath said of Gruber. “He got angry one night and attacked me. He hit me, cut me with a knife and vandalized my vehicle.”
McGrath and her dog were both visibly shaken after the ordeal. Fortunately, she said, her children were — age 5 and 8 — were not at home at the time of the incident.
“I don’t sleep anymore. I’m so worried about being homeless and losing my children,” she shared. “They are my life. I’m the only parent they have left. They need me.”
McGrath’s car was her only means of transportation to and from work.
Now, without any form of vehicle, she can’t get to work. If McGrath can’t work, she loses her home. If she loses her home, she loses custody of her children.
“All I do is work. I love working. I need to get back to work. But I can’t because I can’t afford a car,” said McGrath, who works as a teaching assistant at a daycare. “That’s all I really need — a car.”
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GoFundMe set up to help Salisbury family
McGrath is asking friends, family and the surrounding community for support by setting up a GoFundMe. The GoFundMe is asking for a total of $15,000 to help McGrath on her journey to recovery and stability.
“I share it 17 times a day and it goes unnoticed,” McGrath said of the GoFundMe. “When you have a single mom who’s struggling, people don’t care.”
According to GoFundMe, a total of $50 has been raised.
“I can’t let this take away my independence. I can’t let this situation ruin me. I can’t let it defeat me, because I’m not that type of person,” McGrath said. “I’m not giving up. I’m not giving up. I have to fight to keep my life together.”
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Olivia Minzola covers communities on the Lower Shore. Contact her for tips and story ideas at ominzola@delmarvanow.com.
This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Salisbury Woman, Victim of Confrontation and Domestic Violence, Starts GoFundMe
