Help Shana & Kids Recover and Rebuild

I am not one to like to ask for help, but I have been sick for a month and barely able to keep my head above water, financially and emotionally.

At the beginning of Dec., the kids and I were displaced from what we thought was our home.

For reasons out of our control, with very little support. Way more to this - but, ask God or read between the lines, please.

Dec. 16, I began having pains in my stomach. I made the decision to try to “work” through the pain. On the night of Dec. 18, I woke up and my whole body was shaking, I was freezing, and felt very sick. I called into work the next day and made a doctor's appointment for 1 p.m.

Due to what was my job (Activities Director) in a nursing home, I began receiving calls and questions about upcoming events and felt compelled to cancel the appointment and go into work until everything was situated. So that is what I did.

Friday, Dec. 19. There was no one to cover me for work, so again, I felt compelled to put my health on the back burner and returned to work. Throughout this day, I became increasingly more sick. I was getting ready to leave from work and go to the ER and had already let my bosses know that I just needed to finish up a few more things and I HAD to go to the ER. I was in extreme pain, I was dizzy, etc.

Long story short, I then received a phone call asking for me to go to a boss's office, but not my direct boss. 1. I did not feel comfortable doing this due to personal reasons. 2. I was fuzzy-headed, dizzy, and felt I had prioritized work over my health to the point that I had done all I could do, but I needed to get to the ER. So after I refused and said no because I needed to leave to go to the ER, I hung up my phone and tried to get what I needed done as fast as possible.

THEN, I got terminated for insubordination for hanging up the phone, refusing to go to this lady's office (after stating to her I cannot go to your office I have to go to the ER) even though she is not my direct supervisor.

I cannot put into words how bad my body was rapidly declining, but I was actually scared.

At this point, I was too sick to care.

I have never been fired in my life.

I have not even been written up since I was maybe 19? And I have always worked in healthcare. 15 total years and about 10 years as an activities director. I have family members of residents going back to 2009-2010 who would vouch for my character and job performance and will probably be shocked by the following.

I was fired - Dec. 21, 2024 - 4 days before Christmas. & I have 3 children.

I ended up going to the ER that night and was diagnosed with a very serious kidney infection which required IV antibiotics.

The person that drove me to the ER that night also got fired from their job for the absence, even with a doctor's excuse.

This whole month, I have been sick. My side business has allowed me to float enough for bills and the price of groceries and gas only.

Due to my health condition, there have been days that I have been so sick that I have barely had the energy or ability physically to care for me and the kids. Some days that has been the only thing I could do.

Fast forward to Friday, 1/17, I take my kids to school and barely make it back home due to severe stomach pain, nausea, and dizziness.

Saturday, 1/18 - general feeling of being unwell, pain, nausea, etc.

Sunday, 1/19 - My daughter, Anzlie (8), has fever, chills, sore throat, etc. She obviously needed to go to the doctor and I felt like something was severely wrong with me.

I drive us to the local ER - Anzlie has FLU A & strep.

I have flu A and end up having appendicitis & surgery following immediately.

I have no parents. I have no one to help me. I am unable to “take time off” because I am constantly trying every single day to just be able to make it through the day to support me and my 3 children.

Also, I held Anzlie and I on my insurance - so that insurance is non-existent now due to termination. And now, I have medical bills, big ones, such as hospital admission surgery. I also

have to pay out of pocket for follow - ups

and medication.

My cellphone has been cut-off. I have a spare on my right back tire. ALL of the money i have had has been spent on groceries and gas to get the kids back and forth to school. When we had to leave out home the ONLY place we could go was 20-30 miles away.

I have always been the one felt led to give. I have never been on this side of the “having to ask”. This is extremely humbling to me to share this. If you know me, know my heart, & you feel led to give - Thank you.