A Father's Fight: Health, Career, and Legacy

Being a single dad to an 11-year-old is definitely a journey! I'm learning so much as we go, and it's amazing to watch her grow. It's not always easy juggling everything, but seeing her smile makes it all worthwhile. We're making memories together, and that's what truly matters. Sending love to all the single parents out there! #SingleDadLife #DadLife #Parenting

I never imagined asking for help from strangers. But with my recent struggles healthwise, I basically have run myself into the ground and over the last summer, I had several heat strokes and even a seizure. I had been in the dirt business for 15 years, or maybe even more, building roads and site development. I was typically the foreman of the job and in charge of a lot of what was going on. The help started to get worse.

And I had just started doing more myself to where it became that I was doing most of the job myself. So in August of last year, I quit and opened up my own handyman/home renovation company.

Which has been very overwhelming considering the lack of help I have.

And trying to gain an online presence has been extremely difficult. I've been taken advantage of and stolen from multiple times. Unfortunately, through the last couple of hurricanes we had here in Florida, I was able to make enough money to put myself through crane operating school. Believe it or not, I have about twenty thousand dollars invested in this schooling. It seems no matter how much I try, I can only get so far. And at this point in my life, all I want is to leave a better legacy behind for my daughter. She is everything to me.

When I get up at 4:30 and go to work or school, she gets up on her own and gets on the bus. She is extremely independent, and I am so proud of her. She deserves the world. So I thought, well, I work every day, bust my knuckles, have calluses on my hands, and I am emotionally drained.

I can't even get myself to go on a date. I have no financial help. I do everything on my own.

And I'm at a breaking point. I need some serious help. The medical bills I haven't been able to pay ok top of wrecking my truck the insurance refused to pay to have fixed, I had no choice bit to buy another and let the wrecked one be repossessed. Thankfully I've been able to keep up on my credit cards, but I don't know for how much longer. Believe me, I've done the math a hundred times. It costs me $6000 a month to maintain this lifestyle, which is nothing extravagant. It's a 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom apartment that I pay over $2300 a month for. I will be done with the crane school after next week. My ultimate goal is to be able to buy my own crane. There is very good money to be made. I have seen people try this for what seems to be outrageous reasons and have accomplished their goal. I never thought I would be one to try. Hopefully, once I get my crane licenses, I can find a good job with good insurance and give us a chance. I have spent my life savings on this, so I am really, really banking on this working. Being a single dad of a preteen girl has been such a difficulty. Obviously, I have no idea what's going on with her body from top to bottom. We have a great relationship, and she will always be my best friend. Anyway, good people, that is my story.

Take it how you will. I have never asked for charity in my life and have always worked for it.

At 37 years old, I already get cortisone shots in my hands because of the carpal tunnel and arthritis. It hurts so bad. I had to go to the doctor, and that's how they solve that every six months. We have no health insurance at the moment.

She has to wear glasses. It's a critical time in her life that I take her to the dentist. I really don't know how this works, but I am hoping something will come out of it. God bless you all.