A Veteran Still Standing, Fighting for Family My name is Edward Lloyd. I am a United States Marine Corps and United States Army veteran. I served honorably and was discharged due to service-connected disabilities. I answered the call when my country needed me. I carried out my duty with honor. I came home believing the hardest battles were behind me. I was wrong. When I returned home, life had changed. I became a divorcee. I stepped into the role of caregiver as the eldest son to my mother, who is about to turn 70 years old. She has endured more than most people should have to face. She lost a kidney to cancer. She has undergone a hip replacement and now faces another. Every appointment, every recovery period, every difficult day, I stand beside her. In 2014, we lost my stepfather to multiple myeloma, cancer in the blood and bones. He was the foundation of our home. In April of 2020, I lost my biological father to COVID. Two fathers gone. Two pillars removed. And yet, responsibility remained. In 2024, after not seeing him since I was eight years old, I found my older brother. We were given a second chance at connection. Not long after, he was assaulted and left paralyzed, now living in a wheelchair. That responsibility has also fallen on my shoulders, to support him, to show up, to do what family does. I live in New York City. I barely make enough to cover my own basic needs. But I carry more than my own needs. I carry my mother’s health battles. I carry the loss of my fathers. I carry the support of my brother. I carry the weight that comes with service-connected disabilities. I am not asking for luxury. I am asking for stability. My goal is to relocate to a place where I can reduce expenses, build a more sustainable life, and better care for my mother and support my brother. A place where I can breathe, rebuild, and continue serving my family with strength instead of constantly fighting to survive financially. I have always lived by a simple order: God first. Family second. Country third. I served my country with honor. Now I am fighting to serve my family with dignity. If this story touches your heart, mind, or spirit, I humbly ask for your support. Whether through a donation or by sharing this page, every action matters. No veteran left behind. No family left alone. 

 Thank you for standing with me.

Rip to my beautiful cat Bella