A recent report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that nearly 2.3 million women in the United States have been forced to leave the workforce as a result of the current pandemic. For many, their reasons for being forced out of work have come as a result of closed schools and a lack of child care. The new statistics underline that Black women and Latinas have been hit particularly hard by the economic crisis with over 1 in 12 Black women ages 20 and over and almost 1 in 11 Latinas remaining unemployed this January.

It’s no wonder that women and mothers are being forced to go to extremes to ensure their children have roofs over their heads and food to put in their mouths.

Recently, one Ohio mother was arrested on charges of child endangerment after facing little options regarding child care.

Twenty-four-year-old Shaina Bell was arrested recently after police officers arrested her leaving her young children in a motel room while going to work at her job at Little Caesars.

According to WFMJ-TV, Liberty Township police wet to a local Motel Six after 6 p.m. on Feb. 11 and found two of Bell’s kids alone in a room. Bell’s 10-year-old told police at the time that the moter was at work and was meant to return by 10 p.m. Bell told officers that she had asked someone to check on her children every hour while she was away. 

Bell was charged with two counts of child endangerment. The charges count as a first-degree misdemeanor which carries a possible maximum sentence of six months in jail and fines of up to $1,000.

In response to the arrest, supporters put together a GoFund Me account with a $5,000 goal.

The page describes Shaina as a single mother to three young children.  “She works hard and she loves her family very much,” notes the page. “On Thursday February 11, 2021 Shaina was arrested at her job and taken to jail for leaving two of her children (ages 10 and 2) alone in their hotel room while she went to work. She was released the next day but found herself in the need of immediate housing.”

“This is a sad story. Arresting single parents in cases like this only furthers the goalpost for them,” one GoFundMe donor commented on the fundraiser page. “An arrest can mean a loss of job & income, court fees, time away from work and barriers for future employment. I hope this young lady is able to get on her feet and get housing for her and her children.”

As of Wednesday morthing, the GoFundMe page has already brought in over $100,000 in donations.

Bell pled not guilty to the charges against her, according to Vice and she was released from jail last Friday. Her next hearing is currently slated for April. 

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It’s not every day that we get to see beauty this rare or so brightly celebrated.

Two-year-old Mayah and her daughter Talyta Youssef Aziz Vieira both share a rare genetic condition that means they have a white forelock that makes them look like X-men’s Rogue. Now, their unique traits are going viral and being celebrated on social media.

The mother and daughter pair both have white streaks in their hair due to a genetic condition called Piebaldism.

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A post shared by Talyta Youssef (@talytayoussef)

Talyta, who is from Jericoacoara, Brazil gave birth to daughter Mayah in 2018. According to Daily Mail, the mother was not at all surprised to find out that the two shared the rare trait that gives them two different hair colors. According to Talyta, the genetic condition was passed on to her grandfather, mother, aunt, and cousins, all of whom were born with piebaldism. The genetic condition is characterized by the absence of cells called melanocytes in particular regions of the skin and hair.

According to Talyta’s Instagram page, the young mother said that in her younger years she attempted to hide the white streaks in her hair.

Soon enough, and fortunately, Talyta came to appreciate the trait. Even better? The mother says her daughter has fully embraced her hair mark and enjoys dressing up as Disney character Cruella de Vil while the two watch 101 Dalmatians together.

According to Daily Mail, Talyta says “Piebaldism runs in our family so we knew there was a high probability that Mayah would also have it… From the moment she was born, Mayah had so many white hairs on the front of her head. My doula posted a picture on social media and days later, we were invited by a photographer to do a photo shoot.”

It didn’t take long for the pictures to go viral online.

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A post shared by Talyta Youssef (@talytayoussef)

“I tried to hide my white hair until my twenties. I’d hide it behind other strands – worried that people would bully me,” Taylta explained “I soon realized though that I was unique and special. I want to set that example for Mayah. People always stop us to say how special she is.”

Fortunately, Mayah will have a chance to see someone who looks like her on the big screen soon.

While Mayah’s features have been compared to Rogue from X-Men and Anna from Frozen, the little girl will get a chance to see Cruella in Disney’s soon to be released feature about the villain.

‘That’s when I thought it would be a lovely idea for us to dress up together as those characters. I want Mayah to have fun memories about the way she looks,” Taylta explained about her images of her daughter on Instagram “I want her to embrace being a superhero. Other people who are different have reached out to us thanking us for helping them accept themselves. It’s so sad that people have hid themselves away. We don’t need to be the same to be beautiful. Everyone has a heart inside to accept and love. We are living in a time of knowledge and transformation. Let’s embrace what makes us different.”

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