Disabled single dad needs help!
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Hello everybody. One of the hardest things for me to do is to reach out and ask for help. If it were just me, I'd sit here and suffer, but I'm a single dad, and have to put away all of that pride to try and do everything I can to take care of my son.
I'm a disabled single dad. with a 9 year old son. I have Multiple Sclerosis, and one of the medications I take causes a calcium deficiency, which caused me to break my foot (right 5th metararsal), For the last two months, I have been in a non-weight bearing status on that foot, going around on a knee scooter, and wearing an air cast. I went to my two month follow-up to get my x-rays and return to work, but the fracture hasn't healed yet, and was given another two months of no weight bearing on my right foot, have to use my knee scooter everywhere still.
Not being able to work the last couple months, I have used up just about everything I have financially, and am nearly at a roadblock. I sold all of my company stock, emptied my 401K, nothing really around to sell off, and used up about all of my resources. I am behind on rent and utilities (landlord has been patient and understanding, but it has it limits) , I need to pay my health insurance premiums so I don't lose insurance, my truck's registration expires this month, My son's after-school child care payment is coming up (I can lose his spot for the year if I default for the month, and it's through the school district so it is the most affordable in the area). Luckily, my son qualified for free meals at lunch, and I am receiving SNAP food assistance, so I am keeping him fed and safe, I am just falling behind.
The only other job I really have experience at is being a truck driver, but with having Multiple Sclerosis, and a broken foot, I can't pass a DOT physical to drive commercially, plus being a single dad, going back to over the road truck driving would be impossible.
I am on medical leave from my job as an automotive technician. Since I am in the air cast boot still, I am unable to return to work, because steel toed footwear is required, plus an open toed air boot working in a shop could make things worse. They really don't have a different position to put me in where I could wheel around on my knee scooter at work.
During my appointments for my 2 month follow up for my foot, they noticed a lesion on my skin that looked like skin cancer, and they surgically removed it the next day.
I was at this job for only 10 months before I broke my foot, so I wasn't eligible for short term disability payments. I had the extra accident insurance, but it only covered doctor visits up to 30 days after the initial injury. Since I am on medical leave, which means I still have a job, I do not qualify for TANF per state law. I'd have to quit and lose my insurance to get a small amount of help per month. I have used up my entire deductible and nearly hit the out of pocket maximum with my insurance, so I don't want to lose it. Since I have insurance, I don't qualify for Medicaid. I've applied for Social Security Disability, and am working on my third appeal, but the court date is way out there. In the 10 months I was at work before I got hurt, I had 5 MS flares. The only thing I have coming in right now financially is food stamps, and a small amount of child support I receive.
The end of September rolled around, and my doctor released me to go back to work with the cast on my foot, but my work couldn’t let me return because wearing that in a shop is an OSHA violation. They extended my leave out until November 15th, my next appointment with the podiatrist.
I’m also needing to travel up to Minnesota for treatment at the Mayo Clinic for my MS and Optic Neuritis. I have appointments on November 6th and 7th, with more tests to be ordered. I planned on being back to work by now, but catching a break is impossible lately.
I hate turning to people to ask for help, I've always been the person that has been able to help others with their problems. Please share this if you can, anything will help us.
I'm a disabled single dad. with a 9 year old son. I have Multiple Sclerosis, and one of the medications I take causes a calcium deficiency, which caused me to break my foot (right 5th metararsal), For the last two months, I have been in a non-weight bearing status on that foot, going around on a knee scooter, and wearing an air cast. I went to my two month follow-up to get my x-rays and return to work, but the fracture hasn't healed yet, and was given another two months of no weight bearing on my right foot, have to use my knee scooter everywhere still.
Not being able to work the last couple months, I have used up just about everything I have financially, and am nearly at a roadblock. I sold all of my company stock, emptied my 401K, nothing really around to sell off, and used up about all of my resources. I am behind on rent and utilities (landlord has been patient and understanding, but it has it limits) , I need to pay my health insurance premiums so I don't lose insurance, my truck's registration expires this month, My son's after-school child care payment is coming up (I can lose his spot for the year if I default for the month, and it's through the school district so it is the most affordable in the area). Luckily, my son qualified for free meals at lunch, and I am receiving SNAP food assistance, so I am keeping him fed and safe, I am just falling behind.
The only other job I really have experience at is being a truck driver, but with having Multiple Sclerosis, and a broken foot, I can't pass a DOT physical to drive commercially, plus being a single dad, going back to over the road truck driving would be impossible.
I am on medical leave from my job as an automotive technician. Since I am in the air cast boot still, I am unable to return to work, because steel toed footwear is required, plus an open toed air boot working in a shop could make things worse. They really don't have a different position to put me in where I could wheel around on my knee scooter at work.
During my appointments for my 2 month follow up for my foot, they noticed a lesion on my skin that looked like skin cancer, and they surgically removed it the next day.
I was at this job for only 10 months before I broke my foot, so I wasn't eligible for short term disability payments. I had the extra accident insurance, but it only covered doctor visits up to 30 days after the initial injury. Since I am on medical leave, which means I still have a job, I do not qualify for TANF per state law. I'd have to quit and lose my insurance to get a small amount of help per month. I have used up my entire deductible and nearly hit the out of pocket maximum with my insurance, so I don't want to lose it. Since I have insurance, I don't qualify for Medicaid. I've applied for Social Security Disability, and am working on my third appeal, but the court date is way out there. In the 10 months I was at work before I got hurt, I had 5 MS flares. The only thing I have coming in right now financially is food stamps, and a small amount of child support I receive.
The end of September rolled around, and my doctor released me to go back to work with the cast on my foot, but my work couldn’t let me return because wearing that in a shop is an OSHA violation. They extended my leave out until November 15th, my next appointment with the podiatrist.
I’m also needing to travel up to Minnesota for treatment at the Mayo Clinic for my MS and Optic Neuritis. I have appointments on November 6th and 7th, with more tests to be ordered. I planned on being back to work by now, but catching a break is impossible lately.
I hate turning to people to ask for help, I've always been the person that has been able to help others with their problems. Please share this if you can, anything will help us.
Organiser
Joe Fairchild
Organiser
College Station, TX
