Hello! I'm Desiree and this is my story:

On September 3 (the day after Labor Day), I was doing my morning routine and getting ready for the day. One of the things on the agenda was cleaning my apartment. I got off the bed and was heading to the kitchen when I tripped over the vacuum cleaner hose. On the way down to the floor, I heard an unnerving “crack.” I was on the floor, I lifted myself up and spun my legs in front of me, and I saw it. My ankle looked wrong. My ankle bone was bulging out to the right, and my foot was bent to the left, and then the pain hit me. I managed to reach my phone and call 911. I called two neighbors that live in my building; both were out of town. I live alone, and it’s crises like this that make me feel lonely.

The EMS guys got to me quickly, wrapped an ice pack around my ankle, and we were off to Harlem Hospital five blocks away. The ER team did their thing, including pulling my ankle into place, which I was happily sedated for. When my X-rays came back, the ER team and the orthopedic doctor gathered around the computer to look. My nurse came over, and I asked, “How bad?” He replied, “Very bad.” They then admitted me and said, “You will be needing surgery.” Oh boy.

While in the hospital, I have had two surgeries on my ankle. The first one was to stabilize the bones, which involved screwing six 12-inch rods into my ankle, foot, and shin. My surgeon took it upon himself to wrap my foot and leg so I couldn’t see what was going on there, but seeing these metal rods sticking out and feeling the pain was bad enough.

A few days later, I had THE surgery where they took out the rods and placed metal plates and screws in my ankle and foot. …And here I am, 09/24, still in the hospital. My mobility is terrible. I am on my way to a rehabilitation facility in the Bronx.

The money collected will help pay for medical supplies not covered by insurance and help pay household bills.

Going forward, I am putting it out there for you who have worked with me and know what I do as a career—the majority of my work is behind a keyboard and on the phone, needing no physical activity. I can work, I want to work, please keep me in mind if you will.

Thank you