On Christmas Eve, I was injured while walking through a parking lot holding my son. I stepped on a decorative rock that was supposed to be in a median but had been displaced. This caused me to roll my ankle and break it while still holding my child. Because of the break, I couldn’t regain my footing and fell.

To protect my son from being injured, I twisted my body and landed on my elbow. While my son was unharmed, the impact caused me to break the radial bone, which required surgery.

A kind woman stopped to help, and I asked her to place my son into his car seat. I was able to drive him a short distance to his grandparents’ house and then drove myself to the emergency room.

Since then, I have had an ER visit, lab work, consultations, surgery (including anesthesiology, surgeon, and hospital fees, all billed separately), and post-surgery follow-up appointments. I was also forced to miss a week of work due to my injuries. At this time, I’m unable to do any physical labor and cannot lift more than two pounds. I normally clean houses part-time, which I’m currently unable to do.

After insurance and meeting my deductible, my medical bills total approximately $9,000.

I am a single mother and I’ve been saving every dollar I can toward buying a home for my son and me. This unexpected injury and financial burden has been overwhelming. I’m sharing this in hopes of raising some help toward my medical expenses. Any amount—no matter how small—would truly make a difference and help us get through this difficult time.

Thank you for taking the time to read and for any support you’re able to give.