Single Father Fighting Disability
Donation protected
A little over 3 years ago I was crushed by a car while working at a junk yard. I fought the limitations from my injury and went back to work on aircraft, specifically at a helicopter transimission overhaul shop for 2 years. A point came where I was too injured to continue working. First I lost my job at the helicopter repair station, being forced into signing a mutual agreement to terminate my employment.
I then kept fighting my limitations by going to work as a machine operator until one day a pinched nerve in my neck sent sharp pains through out my body and was affecting my lungs. I was taken off of work at that time and new MRI's which were evaluated by a non-workman's compensation doctor revealed that I did not just have some buldged discs with muscle strains as I had once been told but rather disc degeneration of 4 discs in my neck and 4 in my back. I have an indentation into my spinal cord from one of the damaged discs which has caused pinched nerves so severe that I have been back into the ER a couple of times after having complete loss of muscle control, pain much more severe than my everyday chronic pain from the injury, popping in my neck, dislocation of joints due to muscle fatigue, and even temporary loss of feeling in my extremities.
I tried going back to school to retrain. I have an A.A.S. in Aircraft Maintenance Technology and an A.A. in Liberal Arts. I was only 37 credits from finishing my B.A.S. with a minor in Political Science to prepare for law school when I had to quit due to the severety of the pain and exhaustion. Workman's compensation has denied my time loss due to the fact that I continued working for 2 years, trying to do the right thing by working to provide for my daughter. Now when I have become disabled and my attorney has filed a complaint against the insurance company, they have scheduled me to see one of their doctors who has a reputation for minimizing injuries. I certainly have some better days than others due to being heavily medicated to deal with the pain but the imaging doesn't lie. I had also applied for Disability which I intend to be temporary as I desire to continue working after having surgery. Workman's compensation has been fighting against authorizing the recommended 2 level artificial disc replacement (4 discs) saying that if surgery is even necessary that I a 2 level fusion should be sufficient. Disability says that as long as I am stable on medication then I am not disabled. Well that may have been true before I became wiped out for several hours at a time by migraines and began struggling to walk on my rougher days. Now I am awaiting a hearing from an administrative law judge to appeal my 2nd consecutive denial.
This injury has left my daughter and I struggling to have a stable home for over a year now. We have moved 6 times this year and finally just now ended up with friends where we feel we are completely safe. My car broke down in August and I purchased a truck for what seemed like a good deal only to never receive the title and it just broke down as well. Now it is December and with only $143 a month for child support for income since September, there is no way that we can get another vehicle without help. I am asking for those who can afford it to please consider helping me get back on my feet to continue providing for my daughter. I have had sole custody of her since 2011 and I have done everything I physically can to provide for her but right now I need help to continue doing so. I will be seeing the doctor for opposing counsel on my workman's compensation claim in January and it was this past summer when I was told that it could be 18 months before I see an admistrative law judge for disability. I am not perfect by any means, I have made my share of mistakes and I have grown because of them, but I am a good father. My daughter and I would be so grateful if anyone could help us stay afloat until either my time loss or disability pay start which will likely be sometime in the upcoming year. Any money received will go directly towards every day living expenses such as maintaining a home if we should have to move again or get approved for housing, to fund a reliable vehicle and maintain it, to needed clothing, to keep an active phone line because the 250 minutes a month from the federal benefits line is not sufficient, and to get back in good standing with important creditors such as utility companies as these bills all went to collections when we lost our income and home.
I was really depressed over all of this for a long time. I did not know how I would care for my daughter but my will to care for her has continued despite all of the troubles that have come our way. To have relief from this financial struggle would feel like the world was finally lifted from my shoulders and my daughter would be grateful to not have to worry about why I have tears as we are turned away from needed help but I tell her everything will be ok because I will find a way to keep caring for her.
I then kept fighting my limitations by going to work as a machine operator until one day a pinched nerve in my neck sent sharp pains through out my body and was affecting my lungs. I was taken off of work at that time and new MRI's which were evaluated by a non-workman's compensation doctor revealed that I did not just have some buldged discs with muscle strains as I had once been told but rather disc degeneration of 4 discs in my neck and 4 in my back. I have an indentation into my spinal cord from one of the damaged discs which has caused pinched nerves so severe that I have been back into the ER a couple of times after having complete loss of muscle control, pain much more severe than my everyday chronic pain from the injury, popping in my neck, dislocation of joints due to muscle fatigue, and even temporary loss of feeling in my extremities.
I tried going back to school to retrain. I have an A.A.S. in Aircraft Maintenance Technology and an A.A. in Liberal Arts. I was only 37 credits from finishing my B.A.S. with a minor in Political Science to prepare for law school when I had to quit due to the severety of the pain and exhaustion. Workman's compensation has denied my time loss due to the fact that I continued working for 2 years, trying to do the right thing by working to provide for my daughter. Now when I have become disabled and my attorney has filed a complaint against the insurance company, they have scheduled me to see one of their doctors who has a reputation for minimizing injuries. I certainly have some better days than others due to being heavily medicated to deal with the pain but the imaging doesn't lie. I had also applied for Disability which I intend to be temporary as I desire to continue working after having surgery. Workman's compensation has been fighting against authorizing the recommended 2 level artificial disc replacement (4 discs) saying that if surgery is even necessary that I a 2 level fusion should be sufficient. Disability says that as long as I am stable on medication then I am not disabled. Well that may have been true before I became wiped out for several hours at a time by migraines and began struggling to walk on my rougher days. Now I am awaiting a hearing from an administrative law judge to appeal my 2nd consecutive denial.
This injury has left my daughter and I struggling to have a stable home for over a year now. We have moved 6 times this year and finally just now ended up with friends where we feel we are completely safe. My car broke down in August and I purchased a truck for what seemed like a good deal only to never receive the title and it just broke down as well. Now it is December and with only $143 a month for child support for income since September, there is no way that we can get another vehicle without help. I am asking for those who can afford it to please consider helping me get back on my feet to continue providing for my daughter. I have had sole custody of her since 2011 and I have done everything I physically can to provide for her but right now I need help to continue doing so. I will be seeing the doctor for opposing counsel on my workman's compensation claim in January and it was this past summer when I was told that it could be 18 months before I see an admistrative law judge for disability. I am not perfect by any means, I have made my share of mistakes and I have grown because of them, but I am a good father. My daughter and I would be so grateful if anyone could help us stay afloat until either my time loss or disability pay start which will likely be sometime in the upcoming year. Any money received will go directly towards every day living expenses such as maintaining a home if we should have to move again or get approved for housing, to fund a reliable vehicle and maintain it, to needed clothing, to keep an active phone line because the 250 minutes a month from the federal benefits line is not sufficient, and to get back in good standing with important creditors such as utility companies as these bills all went to collections when we lost our income and home.
I was really depressed over all of this for a long time. I did not know how I would care for my daughter but my will to care for her has continued despite all of the troubles that have come our way. To have relief from this financial struggle would feel like the world was finally lifted from my shoulders and my daughter would be grateful to not have to worry about why I have tears as we are turned away from needed help but I tell her everything will be ok because I will find a way to keep caring for her.
Organizer
Christopher Luna
Organizer
Nampa, ID
