Hey everybody, my name is Amy and this is my story. I've always been healthy, didn't go to doctors, was never really bad sick in my life. In 2021, I had cardiac arrest, was in a coma for 14 days in ICU, and somehow got COVID-19. After that, I had several different incidents that were strokes, and then went into what they called vertigo. During all that, I guess I hurt my foot. So, between my foot and my strokes, my balance is off. I got through it, walked funny for a little bit, and thought it was just my foot. Then, I got to where I didn't have any balance at all. I can barely stand up and have to grab a hold of something. Over time, it got to where I could barely walk without looking like a zombie. Before I knew it, I wasn't able to walk at all and couldn't take two steps without falling down.

Well, I guess in the midst of all that, I didn't realize that high blood pressure was causing strokes and severe spinal cord injuries. At the time, I thought I had just hurt my back and it wasn't getting better. I was going to go to the doctor, but eventually, I ended up at the ER because the pain was getting worse. They did several MRIs on me and told me it was sciatic nerve pain. I went to a better hospital, and a doctor didn't quit until he gave me an MRI of my brain and spine with contrast. He found out that I had a lesion on my spine, three bulging discs in my lower back, and two or three in the top of my neck. This, in turn, caused high blood pressure and strokes. It's now narrowing my spine in my neck and lower back, which is flattening out my spinal cord, making me unable to feel myself and walk, on top of breathing problems.

Since 2019, hurricanes have destroyed multiple homes over the years, so I've kind of bounced from house to house and a friend's in the last 5 years. I wasn't really able to focus on taking care of myself. When I realized that this was really serious, they started testing me for MS and a bunch of other stuff. I'm still waiting on test results to come back, but they're saying it might be MS. I've spent almost a month in the hospital getting heavy steroids to build my back up and strengthen my leg, which is weak from the stroke. Over all that time, I haven't been able to walk around and do things like I usually would have. From the COVID and all that, it's like my backbone is trying to learn to walk again.

I've been recently in inpatient rehab for almost two weeks. They said I was doing great there, but since I've come home, I'm struggling every day because I don't really have a home to come home to. My friend is letting me stay at her house, but there are no guardrails on the porch, no handicap accessible stuff here, and it feels like I'm kind of a bother. Nobody wants to help me, and it feels like I have to do this all alone.

So all I'm asking for is help for money and stuff to be down there at the hospital while I'm trying to get myself to walk again. I want to stay there until I can walk. I don't have any money for clothes that fit me. I need lots of clothes because I don't have anything at all. I don't have underwear, I don't have shoes that fit me, and the clothes I have don't fit. Mostly, what I'm asking for is help until I find out what this spot on my brain and all this other stuff going on in my spine is. I need clothes to wear and to be in survival mode until I can find out what's wrong with me and help myself if I'm ever going to walk again. I have to do this alone, and I don't really think I'm worth any money to help me while I'm there. If anyone could possibly help, even just a couple of dollars, so I can get comfy clothes and hygiene stuff while I try to get better, I would appreciate it. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. If you can't help, it's no big deal, but if you could just keep me in mind, thank you very much.