Virginia Beach mom turned rental car into a home while fighting to keep her autistic son safe

After losing her ride-share income, Aaliyah McCurdy found support through a local moms group as she works to rebuild her family’s future.

For many parents, survival can look like stretching a paycheck, juggling schedules and making impossible choices. For one Virginia Beach mother, survival meant turning a rental car into temporary shelter while trying to keep her son safe, according to WTKR 3.

Twenty-six-year-old Aaliyah McCurdy was already navigating life as a single mother when, according to local reports, a phone call disrupted the little stability she had managed to build. Nearly a year after leaving a domestic relationship with her son’s father, McCurdy found herself facing housing insecurity while raising her 6-year-old son, Jaylen.

With limited options available, she did what she felt she had to do.

“I would rent a car and we would have shelter,” McCurdy said. “Like we would be somewhere that’s at least semi safe.”

Jaylen is nonverbal and on the autism spectrum, creating additional challenges as McCurdy worked to provide for them both. To make ends meet, she drove for a ride-share company, but when school let out for summer and she could not find care for Jaylen, she brought him along during rides.

That decision came with devastating consequences.

“Someone reported me for having my kid in the car,” McCurdy said.

The complaint led to the ride-share company deactivating her account, cutting off not only her income but also her transportation. The situation created a painful reality many parents, especially mothers, know intimately: being forced to choose between earning money and caring for your child.

But then the village showed up.

After turning to Facebook and local moms groups for help, McCurdy connected with Krystal Conklin, a Marine veteran who quickly stepped in to support her.

“She also helped me get a job the same day,” McCurdy said. “She helped me find shelter.”

Still, the road ahead remains difficult. McCurdy reportedly has a limited window to secure permanent housing while balancing work and finding childcare that meets Jaylen’s needs.

Yet through all of it, she says her son remains her greatest source of strength.

“And he’s taught me to really be a good mom. He’s taught me to never give up. He’s taught me to keep fighting,” McCurdy said.

For those hoping to support McCurdy and Jaylen as they work toward stability, a GoFundMe has been created to help provide transportation and a fresh start.