Hey friends,

My name is Ben McSherry, and my wife Daniela and I are expecting our first child in just a few months. We live in California and we both work multiple jobs (often 12-hour days) just to make ends meet. Daniela’s doctor has strongly advised minimizing physical and emotional stress and that's one of the reasons we'd been saving - so she can reduce her workload as we approach her July due date. Over the past year, we’ve been carefully saving toward two important goals: moving out of our tiny duplex, which simply isn’t suitable for raising a child, and allowing Daniela to step back from working so much as we prepare for the birth.

Unfortunately, last week we had a car accident that completely derailed those plans. While we’re incredibly grateful that no one was injured, our insurance has refused to cover any of the associated costs. We’re in the process of seeking legal advice, but in the meantime, we’re required to pay everything out of pocket just to get our car back on the road and that is something we rely on daily for work, medical appointments, groceries, and searching for a new home.

So far, the expenses include:

$3,000 in impound fees (after police declined to allow AAA to retrieve the car)

$13,000 in repair costs (current estimate)

Publicly asking for help is deeply uncomfortable for us but I would ask for any amount of help to make sure that our baby is born having gone through as stress-free a pregnancy as possible. Any support would go far beyond fixing a car - it would help us regain stability, reduce stress during this really important time period, and also help us get into a safer, more secure environment for our growing family. It would mean Daniela can rest more, and our child can come into a better, more stable home.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read our story, and for any kindness or support you’re able to share. It truly means more than we can express.