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Hi! I'm Cade, and this year has tested me in ways I never thought possible.
It started in January when my grandfather passed on my birthday. What followed was tragedy after tragedy and my body and mind began shutting down. Over the course of a few months, I lost 30lbs -mostly muscle mass that I had worked hard to build. I was disappearing, both physically and mentally.
A week after my grandfather passed, while still reeling from it all, I made an extremely impulsive decision: I bought an Alfa Romeo Giulia. I got her cheap, knowing she some issues, but honestly? I had no clue what I was truly getting myself into. I thought I was getting a deal on my dream car (Monte Carlo Blue AND a tan interior? Yum) and instead got a masterclass in WHY she was so much cheaper.
Very quickly, problem after problem began surfacing. The head gasket blew and it all went downhill from there, and I realized the extent of what I've taken on. Around the same time, my work situation became untenable and I made the difficult decision to leave my job to focus on mental health recovery. There I was, already broken down physically and emotionally, now facing massive repair bills, no steady income, and managing full-time school on top of everything else.
But here's where the story changes.
Rather than admit defeat, I decided to use this time to heal both myself and my Giulia. As a complete beginner with little actual mechanical knowledge, I'm starting by learning alongside professional mechanics and documenting every step of the major repairs. Eventually, I'll work my way up to doing mods and smaller repairs myself, with an ultimate goal of being able to fully work on this car and (hopefully) future projects.
What I'll be documenting:
- Learning automotive repair from absolute zero (while managing full-time coursework for a separately-related degree)
- My physical and mental recovery journey
- The parallel process of rebuilding both myself and my Giulia
- Every moment of growth along the way
How your support helps: This GoFundMe would allow me to focus on my recovery and this transformative project:
- ~$3,000 - Engine replacement parts and professional labor (which I'll document and learn from)
- $1,500 - Dental work (crown replacement and wisdom teeth removal - part of my rebuilding process)
- $500 - Basic living support during this intensive period
This isn't just about fixing a gorgeous car that I definitely shouldn't have bought. It's about using this challenging time to prove that when life breaks you down, you can choose to rebuild stronger, smarter, and more determined than before.
The Cade Effect is when someone decides that rock bottom is really just a solid foundation to build something incredible.
Thank you for being a part of this comeback story ♡
Organizer
