Family Needs Help After Medical Crisis

Hello everyone. Thank you for taking a few moments to read a story that, while deeply personal, highlights struggles many families silently endure.

Imagine a nightmare scenario where your child's life hangs in the balance, not just physically, but emotionally, spiritually, and literally due to a refusal to eat. That's the reality my family faced. My son's desperate attempt to take his own life through starvation plunged us into a medical crisis that devoured every ounce of my energy, focus, and resources.

He spent two agonizing weeks in the hospital, followed by an intensive outpatient program that demanded daily attendance. His recovery wasn't just about therapy; it was about survival. He was prescribed a critical intake of 4,000 calories a day to stabilize, treat, and maintain a healthy weight. And adding another layer of complexity, he lives with Celiac disease, making his strict, gluten-free diet astronomically expensive.

The food assistance I received during this time wasn't for general groceries; it was his medication, plain and simple. The specialized, Celiac-safe, high-calorie food he needed cost over $900 a month. This wasn't a choice; it was a desperate necessity to keep him alive and on the path to recovery.

During those months, my life became a blur of appointments, care, and cooking. I couldn't work. How could I, when my child's life depended on my constant presence? I was caring for my son, preparing his specialized meals, and driving over 120 miles round trip daily to get him to treatment. All while trying to care for my two other children at home. There was absolutely no income coming in. I was just waiting, hoping, for my Paid Leave Oregon claim to be approved.

Now, after sacrificing everything to save my son, I'm facing an overpayment notice for the very food that kept him alive. It feels like a cruel twist, a complete lack of understanding of the impossible situation we were in. I meticulously submitted income and expense reports, yet, according to their records, I missed one. This was an unintentional oversight born from pure exhaustion and an overwhelming focus on keeping my son alive.

This unexpected burden is crushing me. It's not just a financial strain; it's a profound blow to a family still healing from trauma. We gave everything to support my son, and now we're left with an unforeseen debt that feels unjust given the circumstances.

This is why I'm reaching out to you today. I'm starting a GoFundMe campaign to help cover this overpayment and alleviate the immense financial pressure so I can focus on my family's healing without this constant threat hanging over our heads. Any support, big or small, would mean the world to us and allow us to move forward.