My dad has always told me his purpose in life is to support me and my siblings. He has been working far from home my entire life. Every day, he drives two hours to work and two hours back so that he can make ends meet for his kids. He pays my university tuition every year completely on his own—he makes sure we never go without anything.

But just a few days ago, my father got into a life-altering car accident that left him paralyzed. After a six-hour surgery on his spine, he has lost the ability to use his legs. He is still in shock trauma recovering from his procedure, and we don't know if he'll ever be able to regain his mobility. Soon he will be moved to rehabilitation, where he will have to do months of physical therapy, attempting to learn how to walk again.

It's only my second year in college. I receive a scholarship and some aid from the FASFA but it is still not enough to cover my tuition this semester. My dad works so hard so that he can pay completely out of pocket for me. We don't know what will happen in the future and I may have to leave school. We are also worried about him loosing his house because he pays his monthly mortgage. He has lived in this house for practically twenty years and it would already be wheelchair accessible when he moves back in.

My dad has always made it so I don’t have to worry. Now, it's my family's turn to pay it back to him. I don't want my dad to have to worry about any of his bills while he's at the hospital. We don't want him to be in debt, especially when he may be out of work permanently. My dad is strong, and we believe that he can recover, but he needs our support, and to receive the best care possible so that he can walk again.