We fell in love in high school and experienced those once-in-a-lifetime moments as young people who fall in love for the very first time. We spent the next 15 years living our lives. While we never stopped caring for each other, life had us traveling different paths and, ultimately, living separate lives. But, as we say, everything happens for a reason. In the summer of 2020, the stars aligned and Darnell and I were back in each other’s lives. It was as if we had never stopped talking. The feelings we had for each other were just as strong, if not stronger, than when we were younger. Our relationship grew more, and after a few years, he asked me to marry him. We decided right then to not wait and started planning for a wedding to take place within the year. We got married on September 13th and couldn’t have had a more amazing day with family and friends. We just became husband and wife a few weeks ago, and we already have dreams and plans for our future. But when we left the wedding, we could not have imagined our lives were about to change so drastically.

On September 28th, after playing basketball with our youngest, Darnell was running home and stumbled and fell. While it didn’t seem like a hard hit, within two hours he was incoherent. In those few moments it took me to get to the hospital and make it through security, my life was in shambles. He was being rushed to surgery almost immediately. The doctors were talking about brain swelling and bleeding, and the need for immediate surgery to relieve pressure on his brain. Everything I thought about our lives just stopped. Our wedding a few weeks ago, all the fun plans we were already making, arguments about who was going to do what at home—all of it dissolved in the matter of minutes that it took me to realize this was real. All that mattered was making sure Darnell would be okay. Hours passed as I sat in the hospital and we all just wanted the surgery to be over and for him to be okay. When I was finally able to see him post-surgery, he was in intensive care hooked up to machines to help him breathe. The surgery went well, the doctors said, but he had brain swelling that they had to stop. Darnell is now missing a part of his skull and has to wear a helmet for some time. He will be going to a rehabilitation facility once he leaves the hospital as well. It’s just unimaginable to think how fast your life can turn around, and in a matter of seconds everything can be taken from you. I spend a lot of time at the hospital while Darnell is in ICU. He’s been taken off the ventilator and can breathe on his own. He is becoming more alert every day and we are working on rebuilding his very weak left side. We are taking every day as it comes. If you’ve ever been to the hospital for a loved one, you can imagine how every medical bill can be crazy. He worked full-time and I go to school part-time as well as work part-time. So we have both health and accident insurance to help pay for this. Unfortunately, we have been told that they will not even begin to look at our claim until there is a hospital bill. So, in the meantime, we need to find a way to pay our out-of-pocket expenses until they pay their part of the claim. Not to mention, there are other costs associated with a medical crisis that no one ever thinks about. Gas for the frequent trips to the hospital and rehab facility, food when you just need to run to the hospital or eat on the go, and so much more. All of these things take their toll as we all learn to function with this new normal. It’s hard to deal with the trauma and emotional roller coaster of going back and forth every day to the hospital but for now, this is life. We are trying to process the trauma, figure out the healthcare system, and hold down jobs, school, and the responsibilities of a family. One unexpected medical crisis can not only change your life and health but also your financial situation beyond your ability to handle it on your own. We have dreams of building our lives together, and starting a family. Instead, we are on the front lines of a medical crisis and fighting every day just for the chance to have our lives back. Your support will help ease some of the financial concerns we face during this time. Anything you can provide will allow us to focus on the real priority—Darnell’s recovery. In addition to your financial help, we can’t thank you enough for prayers, good thoughts, and positive vibes. When all seems lost, it’s those things that help us to keep going and see the light at the end of the tunnel. Thank you for taking the time to read about our lives, and for your support as we try to move forward. We are so very grateful. With gratitude and hope, we look forward to the day that we can pass this generosity forward.