Dear Friends, Family, and Kind Strangers,

My name is Kinzy, posting on behalf of my dear friend Nicki O’Connor.

I’m writing with a heavy heart but also with hope in the power of community. Last Friday, our lives were turned upside down when my husband, Darren, a devoted father to our four beautiful daughters, suffered a sudden and unexpected collapse of his right lung. After dropping our girls off at school, he was rushed to the emergency room and admitted to ICU, where he’s remained for three days with an suction tube inserted in his chest to try and reinflate his lung. As of now his road to recovery is uncertain, and every moment by his side is a reminder of how fragile life can be.

I’m faced with the difficult reality of missing work to care for my husband and children. With no paid leave available to me, each day I’m away means lost income we can’t afford. My husband also lacks paid time off, compounding the stress of mounting medical bills. To make matters more challenging, his health insurance isn’t fully covered by the hospital where he’s receiving critical care, leaving us vulnerable to overwhelming out-of-pocket costs.

We’re humbly asking for your help to ease the financial burden of this crisis. Funds raised will go directly toward medical expenses not covered by insurance (treatments, ICU stay, medications), lost wages from my unpaid leave and my husband’s inability to work, and daily necessities for our girls and household bills.

Every donation, no matter the size, brings us closer to stability and allows us to focus on what matters most, Darren’s healing and being there for our daughters during this frightening time.

If you’re unable to contribute financially, sharing this post or sending a kind thought or prayer would mean the world to us.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your generosity, compassion, and love. We are endlessly grateful for each of you.

With deepest thanks,

Darren, Nicki & Family

venmo: NickiOconnor

Last four digits of phone number: 9031