Hi everyone. I honestly never thought I would be sharing this story online asking others for help. But, here we are.
On June 25, 2024, my world turned upside down when my husband Alan was injured at work. He was on a job site as a dump truck driver and was told by an employee with the company he was working with that his tire looked low. He moved his truck to straighten out the tires but was informed the tire still looked low. The employee told him to get out of the truck to check the tire pressure. As he was bent over, the asphalt loader decided to put another load into the already full dump truck bed which resulted in the asphalt coming over the side of the truck and hitting my husband in the back. When he regained his composure, he saw the 75lb piece of asphalt that struck his back. Needless to say, it's a miracle he was not killed. By the end of the day, he had been to urgent care, could barely walk, and was thankful to still be alive.
Since that time, he has seen doctors, had physically therapy 2x a week, had an MRI, received multiple back injections, and has not been back to work. He now walks with a cane, has a disability placard for his truck, and cannot visit a store unless it has a motorized scooter available. He has been unable to do anything enjoyable like fishing and was too unstable to help our son track his first deer. We had to skip a family reunion because we weren't sure if he could walk to the location from the parking lot. We also had to cancel our 10th wedding anniversary trip because he cannot walk for any type of distance even with his cane or sit long without having to reposition. At this point, his entire existence is going to physical therapy, visiting doctors, and staying at home. While his physical health has gotten a little better with therapy, his mental health has taken a turn for the worse. It is difficult to see your husband go from the strong head of the household to an emotional wreck worrying about possibly never being able to work again or provide for his wife and son. Since our son will graduate high school in May and I will earn my master's degree at the same time, we had a graduation trip planned for the Outer Banks that is no longer an option.
During this time, I have worked at my part-time teaching job and continued my masters degree while taking care of all the household obligations, keeping the bills paid, taking care of Alan, and trying to stay strong for all of us.
On November 19, Alan received a phone call from physical therapy saying all of his appointments have been canceled. A phone call later from his lawyer revealed worse news that his Workers Comp claim has been closed and the case is being challenged. That means no more seeing the orthopedic specialist, no more covered medicines that he needs to even get out of bed, no more physical therapy, no more back injections, and no more paychecks until the matter can go before the Workers Comp appeals board. The lawyer said it could be at least 90 days before the case is heard. Apparently being hit by a 75lb piece of asphalt at work does not qualify as an on-the-job injury according to a local trucking company.......
During that 90+ days, we will be having both of our birthdays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas with no income other than my small check as a part-time teacher. Not only can we not afford any type of celebration, we cannot afford our bills during that time on just my salary.
I am asking for your prayers first because through God all things are possible. We may have lost a lot, but our faith will never falter. I am also asking for any financial help you feel led to provide. We have had to use our savings to supplement the Workers Comp paychecks each week as well as purchase medicines, at home therapy supplies, and other essentials that Workers Comp denied along the way in addition to our monthly obligations. We also had damage from Helene, a broken shower pipe, and had to install a handrail so Alan could safely get in and out of our home. Even if you can only pray for us and share this link, I appreciate it. I have faith that God will bring us through this and I am thankful for any help you can provide. Maybe with everyone's help we can have a miracle by Christmas.