Hi, my name is David. Writing this and asking for help is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. I’ve always prided myself on being independent, dependable, and the person others could lean on when life got tough. But right now, I’m facing challenges that I can’t get through on my own, and I need to finally reach out.

Earlier this year, I went through a very difficult period of seasonal depression. I sought help from both a therapist and a psychiatrist, which I’m deeply grateful for. But with that came a lot of out-of-pocket medical costs—various new doctors, multiple appointments, tests, and MRIs. One of those scans revealed a benign growth behind my right eye. Thankfully, it’s not life-threatening, but the process of getting checked with various tests and multiple MRIs drained most of my savings.

Not long after, I lost my job of eight years. I had been told my contract would be renewed, or that I’d at least receive severance if it wasn’t. Instead, I was suddenly terminated and denied any severance pay due to a supposed issue from months earlier in February. It was a shock, and it left me with no safety net.

I applied for unemployment, but that’s been delayed because of an old overpayment claim from 2017. It’s still being reviewed, and I hope it will be overturned, which means I have little to no income right now.

I’m doing my best to cut costs wherever I can—eating cheap meals, stretching every dollar—but between rent, utilities, food, and a personal loan, I simply don’t have enough. For the first time in my life, I can’t cover my basic needs.

I’ve always tried to be there for others, whether it was offering a place to stay or helping out financially when friends were struggling. It feels humbling—and honestly, very hard—to now be the one asking for help.

Any support you can give, no matter how small, would go directly toward rent, groceries, utilities, and loan payments while I continue to apply for jobs and work through these setbacks. Even if you can’t donate, just sharing this page would mean the world to me.