Over Labor Day weekend, I heard sirens approaching closer to my home. Not wanting to be intrusive, I stayed in my home while others left their houses with tempting curiosity. I soon saw my mother running towards the door. Her face red and tears streaming down her face, she told me that the ambulance was for my own step-dad - Kevin.

He’d had an awful accident just outside the neighbor's house, and the airbag didn't activate. The hood of the car was smashed in, and the car door had blown off. After lots of chaos and confusion, the ambulance drove him away to be airlifted to a distant hospital. My mother wanted to follow as soon as possible, but I encouraged her to call Kevin’s family, who lived nearby. Together, my mom and my stepfather’s mom drove to the hospital, where my mother stayed for a week at Kevin’s side. My step-dad, Kevin sustained serious injuries to his brain and face, resulting in the need for surgery, intensive care, and rehabilitation. Miraculously, he survived, but his life (and our lives are) forever changed.

Fast forward to nearly two months later. Kevin is now in a rehabilitation center re-learning how to do simple tasks like walk, talk, and brush his teeth. He will be home before Thanksgiving and that’s certainly something to be thankful for, but he will still need round the clock care from myself and my mother. His journey to return to living a normal life is just beginning. He will need our help with regular every day tasks that we all take for granted.

Kevin has been the main breadwinner of the family up until now, and without his income we are in danger of losing the life and home we have together. My mother and I are looking for work, but it’s hard enough to find a job as it is. Now we need to find jobs that can be flexible and understanding of our need to spend large amounts of time at home helping Kevin. That limits us to part-time work at best, which would still fall short of meeting our financial needs.

We’re asking for donations to help with bills. We worry every day about losing our home. We're asking for five months of bills to give us some breathing room while we navigate the current situation. Your help is much appreciated.

Here are the monthly bills:

Gas: $47 per month

Trash: $35 per month

Electricity: $100 per month

Water: $65 per month

Mortgage: $500 per month

Groceries $250 per month