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Tenacious Empathy didn’t come out of nowhere — it came out of us.

Our journey began in 1999 on AOL chat, back when meeting online was brand new and a little mysterious. We were two newly outed young people searching for connection, and we found each other instantly.

Terri grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and I grew up in Newport News, Virginia. Despite the distance, we built a bond that felt undeniable. Those early years weren’t always easy — long-distance relationships were uncharted territory, and we both carried insecurities and walls we didn’t yet know how to break down. Life took us in different directions, but the thread between us never disappeared.

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In 2021, we stopped fighting what had always been true: we were meant to be together. We reunited, moved to Columbus, Ohio, and for the past four years we’ve been building a deeply loving partnership while raising Terri’s son, Jaxton, together.

Family is at the center of everything we do. My son, Jude Grey, lives with his other mother in North Carolina. Because of his rare disease, he is in palliative care, and our connection remains strong and sacred. Between the love we share for both of our children and the resilience of our own journey, we’ve learned that love is not just a feeling — it’s a choice, a commitment, and a force that can transform lives.

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This is why we created Tenacious Empathy. Our story has taught us that love is not always simple, but it is always worth it. We believe that empathy — fierce, stubborn, tenacious empathy — is what the world needs most right now.

 

Who We Are

We’re Erica and Terri — partners, parents, educators, creators, and relentless believers that love can still win. Our paths wound through classrooms, struggles, resilience, and reconnection. What bonded us wasn’t just our story, but our conviction that every act of kindness, every story told, and every voice amplified can shift culture.

This is why we created our core call-to-action: #JL1A — Just Love One Another.

 

What We Do

Tenacious Empathy exists to nurture compassion, courage, and community.
We do this through:

🌊 Create a Ripple — Our campaign inviting people to spark change, one small action at a time. Each ripple adds to a wave of empathy.

🪁 Hope on a String — Uplifting stories, creative projects, and community-led initiatives that remind us hope is fragile, but it soars when tethered to love.

👕 Shop Hope — Cause-driven merchandise that spreads our message and funds impact. Every purchase plants a ripple.

🤝 The Collective — A membership community where $10/month goes directly into paying it forward: supporting families in crisis, amplifying grassroots movements, and fueling empathy where it’s needed most.

 

Why Join Us?

Because the world doesn’t change on its own. It changes when ordinary people take extraordinary action together.

When you join Tenacious Empathy, you’re not just supporting a website, a shop, or a blog.
You’re becoming part of a movement family.

• Your membership fuels direct aid and advocacy.

• Your purchase carries our message into the world.

• Your voice helps create the ripple that others can follow.

Together, we are Rooted and Rising.

 

Our Call to You

This isn’t about us. It’s about all of us.
If you’re tired of the noise, the hate, the apathy—join us.

👉 Be the ripple. Create the wave. Just Love One Another.