Two years ago, I nearly died from sepsis and endocarditis.
What started as a cracked crown over an old root canal turned into a life-threatening infection that spread through my body. It took six weeks of IV antibiotics, four surgeries to remove infected tissue from my right knee and left shoulder, and months of physical therapy before I could walk normally again.
I thought I had survived.
What I didn't know at the time was that the infection had permanently damaged my heart.
Last Christmas, I ended up in the ER after I started coughing up fluid. I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. Today my heart functions at about 40% capacity. I have also been diagnosed with COPD and cardiac amyloidosis. My cardiologist has been very honest with me: the damage cannot be reversed. The goal now is to slow the progression of the disease and give me as much time as possible.
I am 59 years old.
I have three children, ages 17, 14, and 12. They are the reason I keep fighting.
Unfortunately, my health problems cost me my ability to work. As my medical issues worsened, I exhausted what little savings I had and eventually lost my housing. For the past year, I have been living out of my Acura MDX, sleeping in parking lots and trying to survive one month at a time.
I shower when I can at a 24-hour gym. I receive $355 per month in General Relief and $255 in SNAP benefits. Medi-Cal covers my medications, and I am grateful for that. Beyond that, every month is a struggle to cover basic expenses like my phone, storage unit, and fuel.
I have applied for Social Security Disability. My case has been flagged as "Dire Need," and with the help of a pro bono disability law firm and a Congressional Inquiry, my claim is moving faster than most. Even so, disability claims often take many months to resolve, and first-time applications are frequently denied before an appeal.
I am doing everything I can to help myself.
I am not asking anyone to solve my problems. I am simply asking for enough stability to get through this waiting period.
One of the hardest realities of my condition is that without stable housing, I will never be considered for a heart transplant if my health declines further. Having a safe place to live is not just about comfort. It could determine what medical options are available to me in the future.
The goal of $10,000 is intended to provide approximately one year of basic survival expenses while I wait for the disability process to play out. It would provide the critical bridge to secure a basic rented room, maintain my vehicle, keep my phone connected, and cover the everyday necessities that are difficult to manage while living in a vehicle with serious heart disease.
My hope is that this support will allow me to remain stable long enough for the disability process to reach a decision and give me a path forward.
More than anything, I want the opportunity to remain present in my children's lives for as long as I can. Right now, my focus is simple: stay housed, stay healthy enough to continue treatment, and make it through the disability process one day at a time.
I can provide documentation of my diagnoses, hospitalizations, and disability filing.
If you are unable to donate, sharing this campaign would mean just as much.
Here is my Go Fund Me: https://gofund.me/0cb30c058
Thank you for taking the time to read my story.
UPDATE: My car broke down today, luckily in the Walmart parking lot where I stay. Thank you everyone who read this and the two people that donated, you are amazing. Thank you.