My name is Curtis Arndt, I'm a 50 year old heavy equipment operator that lives with my daughter and 6 year-old granddaughter in southwest Houston, TX.

I was recently hospitalized for eleven days with Cellulitis in my left leg, a serious infection that got into my blood stream and pneumonia. Currently my physician estimates that it will be mid-January before I can return to work full time. "Light Duty" is NOT an option within my department at work.

While my job at the local airport is protected under FMLA and I will be returning to it once my medical issues are under control, I have no compensated time off available to me since I needed to take it during my wife, Pamela's, illness and subsequent passing this Spring.

That means I will have at least 7 weeks without a paycheck and currently no other significant income streams.

Your contribution to this fundraiser will go directly to pay for the basics of keeping our household afloat (Rent, Utilities, Food, Gasoline, etc.) and (If the response is large enough) the medical bills that have resulted from my hospital stay and follow-up care.

We are not looking for anything more than that; we just need to get through this difficult time that could not have come at a worse season of the year.

Since we are already three weeks in (I was unaware of the extent of the pay issue prior to yesterday.) and bills are beginning to come due, donations for this fundraiser would be appreciated as soon as possible.

Our Christmas would be very merry indeed if our little family could just stay in our home this holiday season with food on our table and the lights on. It would be something of a Holiday Miracle and certainly renew our faith in the goodness of our fellow human beings, no matter how far away they are.

Thank-you so very much, in advance.